Roadtrip
by Mystewitch
Summary: Damon decides that Elena has gotten too gloomy lately and decides to kidnap her for a road trip for some needed R and R. A fun AU fic that deals with just Damon and Elena during the summer after the season one finale.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the canon characters.**

**Ok the votes are in! I will be alternating between this AU story and the "One is the Loneliest Number" story. In an effort to keep things more fun, I won't write out the depressing stuff that leads up to the road trip, I'll just sum up so we can get to the good stuff!**

**As we start our alternate universe timeline: Jeremy dies from his overdose, after waking in the morgue, he decides that he couldn't bring himself to kill to survive and allows himself to die. Damon, realizes that Katherine was the one he kissed on the porch right after he left the house, pursuing her to her lair. There he kills Jonathan Gilbert just for the sake of screwing with her plans (plus the guy is an asshat) and reads her the riot act for screwing with his life, telling her once and for all that he is over her. Stunned at his rejection, Katherine disappears… for the moment.**

**School has been over for a few weeks now, and we're in summer vacation. Caroline wakes from her coma but with complete amnesia and Matt is devastated that she doesn't remember him. Tyler, going through some "issues" runs away from home. Alaric takes Jenna on a cruise to help cheer her up and plans to propose to her, they are currently out of town. Just after they left, Stefan decides that there was too much pain and death in Mystic Falls since his return and that Elena would have been better off if he'd never come at all, pulls an Edward Cullen and gets the heck out of Dodge. Bonnie is thrilled when Stefan leaves, but it puts a strain on their friendship when Elena is devastated over Stefan's departure and they drift apart. **

**Left without family and friends to bolster her spirits, Elena sinks into a deep depression, barely leaving her house for days on end. Damon watches her from afar, knowing he shouldn't bother her while her grief is still so fresh, but in the end he decides that enough is enough and decides to kidnap her for a little much needed fun. **

**Okay. How depressing was that? Fun is coming, I promise! (if I forgot any threads in the above summary, just sing out and I'll address them as well just for continuity)**

The late afternoon sun was streaming through the bedroom window but the girl lying on the bed was already fast asleep, clutching a worn teddy bear to her chest. Time had ceased to have much meaning for Elena in the past few weeks, day… night… without any purpose it mattered little to her when she was awake and when she slept.

Sleeping was the only thing that brought her any respite to the crushing sadness that plagued her during her waking hours. In dreams she could imagine that her life was still intact. She could spin a reality of her choosing where her family was still alive and happy, and Stefan had never left her.

Only sometimes… in those most fevered dreams, sometimes it wasn't Stefan that held her safe from harm. Sometimes it was another dark handsome vampire who chased the blues away, made her feel safe and cherished, set her soul on fire with steamy kisses that left her clutching the sheets and aching with need.

"_Come on, let's go."_

Elena blinked in the sunlight, not quite sure if she was awake or still dreaming. She could have sworn that she'd heard Damon's voice speaking in the room as clear as day but he was nowhere to be found. "Hello?" She called out softly, feeling a little sheepish for doing so in the deserted house.

"Hey sleeping beauty." Damon grinned, stepping back into view from the bathroom door. "Come on, times a wastin' let's go." He stooped to pick up her discarded shoes from the floor and smacked the bottom of her foot playfully with one of them.

Raking fingers through her wealth of hair, Elena tried to push the fog from her mind. "What are you talking about? Go where?" Wearing just a tank top and panties, it didn't occur to her yet to be self conscious of her appearance with him in the room. The vervain necklace as always hung around her neck, her only tangible connection to Stefan.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." He tossed the shoes on the foot of her bed. "Oh and not that I don't appreciate that particular ensemble but I'm thinking you're gonna want some pants." Jeans were retrieved from a crumpled heap on the ground and flung at her as well.

Still trying to process just exactly what was going on, Elena opened her mouth to protest but was rewarded by a mouthful of denim. "Thanks." She returned sourly, swinging her bare legs out from the covers to tug on the jeans. "Is there something wrong?" That thought lent her a little more clarity and speed, and she hopped out of bed to fasten the pants.

Damon openly watched her pull on the form fitting jeans, admiring the way the denim hugged her cute bottom. "Why do you always have to assume it's something bad? That's the problem with you, too much doom and gloom. It's not healthy." He frowned, looking around the room for whatever else a girl her age might consider essential and settling on a little black hoodie, tossing that to her as well. "Well I have something to cure that, and you're just gonna have to trust me."

"Trust you?" She scoffed, more out of habit than stemming from any real lack of trust, Elena quirked a brow, one hand on her hip as she deftly caught the sweatshirt but stopped getting dressed until she got a few more answers. "I want to know what this is about." She gave him an expectant look.

"Don't you trust me?" Damon tried to laugh it off, but Elena could see the hint of vulnerability behind his eyes, the way his body went completely still as he waited for her answer.

Elena stared back at him for a long moment before she gave him a grudging nod. "Yeah I trust you." She replied softly. Just as quickly his smirk returned and the heavy moment between them was over. Tugging on the hoodie and retrieving a clean pair of socks from her drawer, she sat on the end of the bed to put her shoes on. "Are we gonna be gone long?"

"Mmm, it's hard to say, it depends on how long it takes." Damon hedged. "But don't sweat it, it's not like you have to be up early for school tomorrow, right?"

"That's true I guess." She allowed, standing once her shoes were on. "Do I need to bring my car?" Her hand reached for the keys on her dresser.

"No, I'll take care of that." He seemed impatient to leave, pulling open her bedroom door to usher her into the hallway.

Elena gave him a penetrating look as she passed by him into the hallway, wondering just what he was up to. Truth be told she'd sort of missed his company over the past few weeks, though she never would have admitted that to him, he was full of himself enough as it was. Damon just smiled blandly back at her, and somehow she found that more worrisome than his trademark smirk. At least when he was smirking you knew he was up to something, like this… she was just kept guessing.

Grabbing her purse by the door, she locked the house up tight and turned around, expecting to see Damon waiting by his car, instead a black SUV gleamed in the fading sun, dark tinted windows obscuring her view of anything inside. "Where did you get the car?"

"Eh…" He made a noncommittal noise, pulling open the passenger side door for her.

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means don't worry your pretty little head about it. Now get in before I have to kosh you on the head and toss you in the back." Damon put a little bit of growl behind his voice but it just made Elena laugh since she could very easily picture him doing just that to get his way.

"Okay, Okay, I'm coming, keep your shirt on." Her hands came up in a supplicating gesture.

"For now…" He smirked, seeing her safely into the car before jogging around to the driver's side and slipping in beside her. The car started up smoothly, the powerful engine humming as he pulled smoothly out onto her street.

For a few minutes, she just watched him drive, admiring his strong profile and the skilful way he maneuvered the vehicle, his eyes intent on the road. "So when are you gonna tell me where we're going?" Elena finally asked, leaning back against the plush leather seat.

"So you can ask me _are we there yet_ every ten minutes? Not a chance." He shook his head decisively. "I'm taking you somewhere important, there's something you need to see, let's just leave it at that for now, okay?" Damon turned his head and swung the power of those brilliant blue eyes on her and Elena found herself nodding back, willing to drop the subject for the time being.

They headed for the outskirts of town and to her surprise turned onto the interstate, but she kept her curiosity to herself, finding it almost soothing to see the road speed by, the trees soft and blurry like a watercolor.

"Are you hungry?" Damon's voice cut through her reverie and Elena was surprised to see they'd been driving for nearly an hour now.

"No, not really." She gave him a brief smile, her appetite wasn't what it used to be.

"You haven't been eating enough." He frowned, hand tightening on the steering wheel.

Elena's brows rose in surprise. "How would you know?" She hadn't seen or heard from him in weeks.

"I've been around." A careless shrug was given.

"What are you stalking me now?" The corner of her mouth tugged up into a smile. Had he been hovering outside her window? If she didn't know any better she might have thought he was responsible for some of those dreams she'd been having, but she couldn't think of a good way of asking him about it without admitting that she'd dreamed about him.

"Stalking is such a harsh word, I've just been… an interested bystander."

"Bystander implies you just happen to be there, is that the case?" Somehow she doubted that.

"Ok a deliberate bystander then." Damon grinned, giving her another quick glance.

"How come you didn't stop in and say hello then?" Elena's brows drew together in puzzlement.

"I didn't want to intrude. I figured the last thing you needed was me hanging around, I tend to rub people the wrong way sometimes." He gave another little shrug, but Elena fancied she saw a glimmer of something else behind that statement. She was about to open her mouth to say something in return but he ruined the moment by adding, "Since I figured you weren't in the mood for me to rub you the _right _way, I'd just bide my time till the time was right." He waggled his brows at her playfully.

Elena smacked him lightly across the shoulder, but she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "You never quit do you?"

"Winners never quit and quitters never win, as my father was ever fond of saying." Damon grinned widely.

"Was he now?" Elena smiled, settling back against the seat again.

"Oh yeah, he had a stupid platitude for just about every occasion. It was one of his defining characteristics. That and being a total bastard, and I'm not doubting his parentage." Damon added, his eyes back on the road again.

"You didn't get along with him too well did you?"

"Eh, it was what it was." He shrugged. "It's not like people sat around and related to each other back then, talked about their feelings like they do now. No going to therapy and agonizing over it, no spanking my inner child, you just accept it and move on."

"I'm sorry." She said softly, watching him carefully.

"Nothing to be sorry for. It's a bygone era, besides it wasn't all bad. Stefan and I got away with a hell of a lot more than kids do these days, running free from sunup til sundown. These days parents practically got a lowjack on their kids, they can track them with their cellphones, nannycams, the whole world is wired." He shook his head. "Things used to be a lot… slower."

"It might be nice to take things a bit slower." Elena commented with a wistful smile.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Damon recovered his smile, glancing over at her for longer than Elena thought was probably safe while driving. "You know we've got a ways to go yet, if you want to just close your eyes and rest a bit, I won't mind."

"Are you sure? Won't it be kind of boring for you?" Even though she'd been asleep when he'd found her, she still was a bit tired, and the sun had started to slip from view, casting the sky in the velvety embrace of twilight.

"Nah, I like to drive, it helps clear the mind. Just relax and I'll have a surprise for you when you wake up."

Elena stared at him a long, hard moment. She used to like surprises, but of late they'd all ended up being of the horrible kind. His smile was hard to resist though and she settled in a little more comfortably against the door. "It had better be a good one." She murmured, eyes slipping shut.

"Just wait and see." Damon smirked, forcing his eyes back to the road instead of giving in to the desire to watch her sleep. If things went as planned, he'd have time aplenty for that in the coming days.

* * *

They had been on the road for another four hours or so by the time Damon pulled into the parking lot of the Budget 8 motel. Elena had been dead to the world for the drive, not even stirring when he'd turned on the radio for a little traveling music. But as soon as the car came to a stop, she startled awake, blinking in the harsh parking lot lights.

"Where are we?" She yawned, stretching her neck first one way and then the other.

"Specifically? A cheap motel." Damon supplied nonchalantly, turning off the car and pocketing the keys.

"A cheap motel?" Her head canted to one side and a single brow was raised.

"Don't flatter yourself kid, I should have let you shower before we left your house." He snorted, "You smell like moldy ass, and don't even get me started on your morning breath…" Damon couldn't resist teasing her, she was just so damn adorable when she got all full of righteous indignation.

"You have a lot of experience in what moldy ass smells like, do you?" Elena fixed him with a withering look, though he could see her trying to surreptitiously sniff herself to see if she really did smell offensive.

"Hey, enhanced vampire sense of smell, you'd be surprised what I can smell." He pointed out, stepping out of the SUV and rolling his shoulders to get the kinks out after being so long in one position.

Elena climbed out of the car, looking around the nearly deserted parking lot. "Okay I get that we're at a cheap motel, and I get why… sort of. But where are we in the larger sense and why did you bring me here at all?"

"We are somewhere in Tennessee, I'm not sure exactly where, I wasn't paying attention. But it's all sort of the same isn't it? So I don't suppose it really matters." Damon shrugged, coming around to lean against the front of the car and watch her reaction to the news. "As to why I brought you here… I told you, I needed to show you something."

"Something in a cheap motel?" She scoffed.

"You have no sense of vision, try to look at the bigger picture here. You're getting so hung up on the motel… I'm wondering now if _you're_ not the one whose mind is in the gutter." He waggled his eyebrows at her. Her face flushed then and he smirked over the reaction. _Gotcha._

"Okay so we're what, checking in or are we just stopping because you have the pressing need for me to shower?" Elena asked, drawing her hoodie a little tighter around her body.

"That's the plan. You wait here, I'll go and get us a room. We don't want to give the motel clerk the wrong idea and damage your reputation do we?" He smiled widely, pushing away from the car.

"Yeah cause I'm so worried about what they think of me out here in the middle of nowhere." Elena muttered, leaning against the passenger side door. "Get two beds!" She called out after him as an after thought.

Damon chuckled to himself over that last remark. _Not if he could help it…_

Tbc…

**a/n: ok still a little heavy in the beginning I know, but things should lighten up soon once we get into the swing of things.**

**Feedback is love people **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the canon characters.**

**Thanks for all the adds and the feedback, glad to know you guys are up for the storyline!**

"_You have no sense of vision, try to look at the bigger picture here. You're getting so hung up on the motel… I'm wondering now if you're not the one whose mind is in the gutter." He waggled his eyebrows at her. Her face flushed then and he smirked over the reaction. Gotcha. _

"_Okay so we're what, checking in or are we just stopping because you have the pressing need for me to shower?" Elena asked, drawing her hoodie a little tighter around her body._

"_That's the plan. You wait here, I'll go and get us a room. We don't want to give the motel clerk the wrong idea and damage your reputation do we?" He smiled widely, pushing away from the car._

"_Yeah cause I'm so worried about what they think of me out here in the middle of nowhere." Elena muttered, leaning against the passenger side door. "Get two beds!" She called out after him as an after thought._

_Damon chuckled to himself over that last remark. Not if he could help it…_

"Sorry, this was the best I could do." Damon unlocked the door, revealing about what he would have expected for the price, an average cheap motel room, a little shabby but thankfully fairly clean. His enhanced senses would have let him know if they were stepping into a roach motel, of that he was confident. The queen sized bed dominated the room, it's bedspread a riot of colors, probably to hide the worst of the stains.

"Great…" Elena sighed, immediately pulling the curtains closed against the bright parking lot lights.

"A little privacy, I couldn't agree more." Damon smirked, plopping down on the bed, stealing the other pillow to prop himself up more comfortably.

The look she gave him spoke volumes, but Elena refrained from replying, instead she moved deeper into the room to check out the bathroom. "No toiletries except for a bar of soap. It's not gonna be much of a shower." She sighed tiredly.

"You know I never really noticed this before, but you're kind of a 'glass is half full' kind of girl aren't you?" Damon's eyes followed her wherever she went. "Were you always like this or do I have baby brother to thank for stomping all over your heart?"

"I'd rather not talk about him if you don't mind."

"Hey, I'm actually one hundred percent on board with not bringing up Saint Stefan for the foreseeable future." His hands came up in a supplicating gesture. "I won't talk about him if you won't."

"Deal." Elena gave him a wan smile, leaning against the wall between the room and the bathroom. "Well, I guess I'd better get started on that shower, I'd hate to offend your delicate senses."

"Hold on…" Damon rose from the bed and pressed his ear against the wall. "Give me a minute, I'll be right back." Without offering a word of explanation, he slipped out of the room, enjoying the look on her face right before he shut the door.

Elena stared at the door, not quite sure what to expect, with Damon it could be anything. Just when she was thinking about going out after him, the door opened and he reappeared, his smile wide.

"Here you go, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, mouthwash, toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, the whole shebang, hell I even got you a razor." He gave her a pointed look at that last one.

"Where did you get this stuff?" Her brows drew together in puzzlement as she fumbled with the little travel sized bottles, finally using the bottom of her tank top to help carry it all.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it." He tapped her lightly on the nose, smug smile in place. Somehow he didn't think she'd appreciate the larcenous nature of the bounty he'd just shared with her.

"Ooookay." She nodded, "I'll see you in a little while then."

"Take your time. Really. Use up all the hot water in the building, knock yourself out."

A roll of the eyes was given and Elena escaped to the bathroom, armload of little beauty products in tow. Of course once she was clean she'd have to put on her dirty clothes again, something that didn't sound particularly appealing and she had to wonder why Damon hadn't allowed her to pack a few things if he'd known they were going to be gone overnight.

That of course begged the question; just where the hell was he taking her? As she stepped into the shower, Elena realized she didn't particularly care. He was right, she didn't have any place she needed to be, and it was nice to have something else to think about instead of just moving like a ghost through the big empty house.

The bathroom door opened and Elena froze, feeling acutely vulnerable in her naked state. What was Damon up to? It wasn't like he needed to come in and use the facilities… "Hello?" She called out softly, but there was no response. A quick peek outside the shower door revealed that no one was out there and she started to doubt that she'd heard anything in the first place. Still, the interruption had served to pull her out of her reverie and Elena went back to the business of washing up, relishing the feel of clean hair and skin now; a bit of guilt creeping in for how far she'd let herself go over the past couple of weeks. All squeaky clean, she'd turned her attention to the supplied razor, shaving her legs and underarms. Then as an afterthought, she'd pulled in her tank top and panties, giving them a good wash. With any luck they'd be semi-dry by the time they checked out, and if there were still a little damp that'd still be better than putting them back on all dirty.

That still left her with the problem of what to wear to bed though, and Elena wondered if Damon would consider giving up his shirt? As she stepped out of the shower, she realized he was already one step ahead of her, a folded t-shirt lay on the bathroom counter and she smiled as she realized what that opening of the bathroom door had been about earlier. Toweling off, there was no hair dryer supplied, so she left her long, dark locks to air dry, raking them back from her face with her fingers. Shaking out the t-shirt, her lips quirked with amusement as she caught the slogan emblazoned across the chest: I 3 (heart) wieners, with a picture of a little brown dachshund beneath it.

Tugging the t-shirt on, it was large enough to reach her mid thigh, certainly long enough to be decent as long as she was careful how she sat. Elena didn't intend to parade around in it for long, she was already thinking about going back to sleep again. Dimly she recalled that excessive sleepiness was a sign of depression but she tried not to worry about it. She had all the trademark signs alright, but she also had just about the best remedy for depression in the other room. True he might provoke other just as dangerous emotions from her but one thing was certain; he was bound to cure her depression one way or another.

*** back from commercial***

Damon's face split into a wide grin the moment he saw her. The t-shirt was just as amusing as he'd thought it would be. Perhaps that made his sense of humor juvenile, but he could care less. "There she is…" He commented, more intent on watching her than the crap on TV now.

"Hey." Elena offered him a slightly embarrassed smile, tugging on the bottom of the shirt.

"Well you look better, here's to hoping you smell better too." He smirked, rolling over onto his side to face her, his mouth going dry when he caught sight of the long expanse of bare legs and just a hint of bare cheek before she tugged the covers up.

"You'll have to let me know, I think I smell fine by human standards at any rate." Peeling back the covers on her side of the bed she started to climb in.

Good god he wasn't going to be able to stand it, she smelled just like a strawberry cream puff and looked twice as good... Damon swallowed back the wave of desire that swept over him the moment she slipped into bed beside him. "What are you doing?"

"Going to bed, what does it look like?" Elena replied, tugging at the pillow behind his head that he'd stolen."

"Now? Didn't you sleep all day plus in the car?" He frowned, his head hitting the headboard with a thunk as she stole her pillow back. Just when had he lost control of the situation?

"I'm tired." She shrugged, settling under the covers beside him.

On the one hand he knew he had to handle her with care, the smallest misstep and she'd be on a bus for home. On the other, she was just so damn tempting, and he was the type to just take what he wanted, no apologies.

Not that he wasn't capable of exercising restraint when the situation called for it… it was just no fun. But he was willing to be patient for now, betting that the end payoff would be all that much sweeter if she was a willing and eager participant.

Plus, she had willingly climbed into bed with him; that had to be a start, right? The trouble was; he was nowhere near ready to sleep in the state he was in. "I'm gonna hit the showers, if you saved me any hot water." Damon grumbled as he hopped off the bed. Christ, was he running away from a half naked teenage girl in his bed? What the hell was wrong with him?

"Mm'kay." Elena murmured, her eyes already closing as she clutched her pillow.

Damon needn't have worried whether or not she'd left him any hot water, he'd settled for a cold shower instead.

*** back from commercial ***

The clock showed just after six am when Elena woke, a little disoriented at first as she blinked to clear the sleep from her eyes. She was in a strange bed, looking at a strange alarm clock with a strange arm around her middle and a strange… Her eyes flew wide as she realized just what it was pressed up against her backside. Sometime in the night she had wound up spooned against Damon, her t-shirt had ridden up enough that it was her bare skin pressed against him and for one panicky moment she wondered if they'd done something that she couldn't remember…

"Damon…" She hissed, nudging his arm that lay heavy around her waist.

Damon made a noise, somewhere between a sigh and a growl, snuggling even closer to her, his head burying in her hair.

With a squeak, she tried to scoot away from him but his hold on her was unshakable. Gingerly, she slipped her arm under the sheets and after a few moments of nervous groping, she was relieved to find that he was at least wearing his boxer briefs. She on the other hand… felt entirely too exposed, even though she was still completely covered by blankets. Awkwardly she tried to tug the shirt down between them, squirming in his grasp but finally managing to feel a little more modest.

"Damon!" She called out louder this time, pinching his arm.

"Ow!" He protested, keeping his hold on her. "Not cool…" Damon grumbled, refusing to move.

"It's morning, it's time to wake up." Elena protested, trying to make her voice sound as normal as possible.

"Hey, just because I can go out in the daytime does not make me a morning person." Damon pulled her more firmly against him like a giant teddy bear, his chin resting on her shoulder as he refused to budge.

"Damon…" She sighed, not quite sure what to do, especially since she was actually feeling almost… comforted by the feel of his arms around her. He obviously wasn't seeking anything sexual from her, despite that part of him that was obviously up and at 'em at the early hour. It was sort of nice to be just held for a while.

"You can keep saying my name… not gonna make me get up." There was a trace of amusement in his voice but mostly he just sounded exhausted. "Relax, the world will still be out there in another hour or two, I promise."

"Alright." Elena allowed, her eyes slipping closed again.

*** back from commercial ***

It was closer to three hours later when Damon's eyes popped open, surprised to find himself all snuggled up to Elena and even more surprised as he realized she'd let him do it. Buoyed by the thought, he shifted a little, watching her sleep for a few moments. She looked so peaceful lying there, no trace of tears on her cheeks, she looked fresh and intensely appetizing.

It hadn't been too long since he'd last fed, but he could feel the hunger rising at the sight of her, the feel of her in his arms, her pulse mocking him from the slender column of her throat. Impulsively Damon leaned down and brushed his lips across the soft skin here, feeling the delicate throb against his mouth.

Elena stirred and he immediately withdrew, not wanting to risk freaking her out. "Hey lazybones." He smiled down at her.

"Me lazy? You're the one who wouldn't get up this morning." She scoffed, rolling over to face him, her hands busy doing something under the covers that he couldn't quite fathom.

"That wasn't morning, that was the crack of dawn, that's like kryptonite for vampires." He grinned back, feeling immensely light and eager to get her farther away from home and all the reminders of her heavy past. "Are you ready to get back on the road again?"

"Ah sure… where are we going again?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Damon tapped his forefinger to her lips and then sat up, the blankets falling away to reveal his bare torso.

"Okaaay. What about breakfast, is there food on this safari?" Elena asked, watching him from her warm spot under the covers.

"I think we can swing that." He nodded, climbing out of bed and reaching for his jeans lying carelessly on the floor. Damon could feel her eyes on him and couldn't help but preen a little, flexing as he tugged on the pants.

"Good, I'm starved." She breathed, eyes following his every move.

For a moment he thought he might have heard a different kind of hunger in her voice, but maybe that was just wishful thinking? "Glad to you found your appetite. I am too. Maybe we can find some nice obliging truck stop waitress who'll give me a bite to eat." He grinned wolfishly.

A roll of the eyes was given. "Is that such a good idea? I mean you don't want to attract attention in broad daylight, right?"

Damon turned to bring the full power of his baby blues on her. "Are you offering yourself as a substitute?" A single brow rose. If that was the case he'd happily spend all day with her in the cheesy little motel, but somehow he didn't think that was what she'd meant.

Elena swallowed nervously, trapped by his intent gaze.

"That's what I thought." He smirked, returning his attention to finding his shoes. "If it bothers you I'll wait till you aren't around." It wasn't like he was starving at the moment, and she was right, it might be easier to accomplish later that night.

"How often do you have to, you know…"

"Feed?" Damon gave a careless shrug. "It depends on how much you drink, the quality…"

"What, people have grades like eggs?" She giggled over her own joke.

Damon smiled to himself over her giggle, it sounded so unspoiled, so light. "No, I mean depending on if you're eating people, from the blood bank or animals. The closer to fresh human blood the longer you stay full. You drain someone completely dry… well then you're good for a few days." He sat down on the edge of the bed and tugged on his shirt. "You take just a taste it'll last you till the next night usually. It's not like I'm gonna turn to dust if I skip a meal or two, but the longer you go, the less control you have over yourself."

"Oh." She was silent for a moment.

Damon's hands stilled on the buttons of his shirt. "Is this freaking you out? Talking about how I feed?"

"No, not exactly. I just never asked Ste… anyone about it before." She caught herself before bringing up the dreaded ex.

"It doesn't have to be torture and death you know, it can be… very enjoyable." He turned on the bed, leaning towards her a little, his eyes alight with the promise of many delights.

Elena snorted, "Yeah I'll bet… for you."

It was Damon's turn to laugh. "Haven't you ever wondered why some humans offer themselves up to be blood companions?"

A tiny pucker appeared on her brow. "Blood companions?"

"Yeah, kinda like a combination of friends with benefits and meals on wheels." He grinned.

"There are people that do that? It sounds kind of… degrading, offering yourself up like that, like cattle." Her nose wrinkled up with distaste.

"It can be for some, but trust me, there are benefits for both parties involved." He gave her his best heated grin, doing that thing with his eyes he knew she was especially susceptible to.

Elena swallowed. "Yeah well… it doesn't sound all that appealing to me." She maintained, slipping out from under the bed, she scooped up her clothes and escaped to the bathroom.

"Don't knock it till you try it." He called out after her with a chuckle.

**Feedback is love people **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the canon characters.**

As it turned out breakfast had been mostly uneventful. Damon had behaved himself, largely in part to the fact that their server Violette looked like she was on the far side of sixty and reeked of cheap perfume and stale cigarettes; not exactly a mouth watering combination.

Damon settled for a cup of coffee instead, amused to watch Elena polish off eggs, bacon, country potatoes, toast and a stack of blueberry pancakes without blinking an eye. "Geez, what do you have a hollow leg or something? Where are you putting all of that?" He made a show of peeking under the table.

Elena threw a wadded up napkin at him, grinning triumphantly when it struck him in the face as he straightened up. "You said I haven't been eating enough lately, right? I'm just trying to catch up."

"I didn't mean all at one sitting." He smirked good naturedly, though in truth he was glad to see her starting to come to life again. "Did you want dessert with that or should we just back the SUV up to the door and have them fill it with pie?"

"Ha, ha, very funny." She smiled, stealing his napkin and patting her lips with it delicately. "You ah, aren't having anything other than coffee?"

His lips curved into a speculative smile. "Are you offering?" Damon flashed his eyes at her.

Her smile turned nervous for just a second before she recovered with a laugh. "You can have the rest of my orange juice, that's about as far as I'm willing to go."

"Pity." Damon put on an exaggerated look of disappointment, but it was gone in a flash as he dug out some cash and left it on the table. "Come on, let's make some tracks. I want to be outta here before rush hour begins." The last was delivered with a healthy dose of sarcasm; the size of the town prohibited the forming of heavy traffic even if each and every resident were to rush out to the road at the same time.

"You sure are eager to get wherever it is we're going." Elena fished a little for information.

"Not at all, in this instance I'd say the journey is at least as important as the destination."

"Then why the rush to get onto the road?"

"I guess it's just my impatient nature. That and an aversion to hick towns, it's so much harder to blend in with the local yokels." He shrugged, donning his sunglasses as they stepped outside the diner.

"You definitely do stand out…" Elena murmured, following him to the car.

*** back from commercial ***

They drove for a couple of hours before they were obliged to stop for gas at a tiny little hole in the wall station at a roadside exit that contained little else. "I'll go get us some gas, you want anything else?" Damon asked, pulling up to the pumps.

Elena unbuckled her seatbelt, unzipping her hoodie and tossing it in the back of the SUV as she prepared to leave the air conditioned car. "No I'm good, I'm just gonna stretch my legs for a minute. In fact, you go ahead and pay, I'll pump the gas." She offered.

Damon caught up her hand and brought it to his lips for a brief kiss, but released it just as quickly. "What kind of a gentleman would I be if I allowed you to soil your tender hands with such a task?" He grinned, stepping out of the car and starting the flow of gas by himself while she was still alighting. With a playful wink, he left her there, whistling as he approached the little gas station store.

"What a dump…" He muttered, walking straight past the racks of chips and snacks and going straight for the cash register.

"Fill 'er up?" A guy in a stained wifebeater and jeans sat behind the cash register, barely looking up from the magazine he was reading.

A quick dip of the knees and Damon could see the guy was reading the Weekly World News, clearly an intellectual. "Yeah I'll take a full tank of gas and… let's see…" They didn't even have any decent munchables… What kind of junk food would Elena appreciate? He realized he had no clue if she was the kind of girl who liked salty or sweet. Based on breakfast he thought she might like a bit of both. "I'll take these chips and these little mini-donuts too." Tossing them on the counter he waited for the gas pump to stop. Outside Elena was pacing around the car, pulling her long dark hair up into a messy ponytail, exposing those lovely shoulders. Talk about munchable…

"That'll be thirty-six seventy." The clerk set down his magazine and punched the numbers into the old cash register.

"Yeah about that…" Damon leaned across the counter, exerting his influence. "There won't be any charge for the gas today." He smiled, staring intently at the clerk.

"There won't be any charge today." The man repeated, his mouth going slack.

"In fact, why don't you go ahead and give me everything you've got in the register." Damon smiled a little wider. No reason why he shouldn't have a bit more walking around money after all.

The clerk opened the register mechanically, scooping out the bills and sliding them across the counter before returning to scoop out the change.

"Keep the change." Damon waved him off, picking up the money and fanning through it for a quick count, his face darkening as he reached the sum. "Are you shitting me? A lousy forty seven dollars?"

The clerk blinked, but otherwise didn't react negatively to the outburst. "Not many people pay with cash these days and it's still early." He gave a shrug.

Damon sighed disgustedly. "Fine… give me your wallet then." He ordered, only slightly mollified when the guy handed it over without argument. "You lost your wallet but it's not a big deal, it'll turn up in a day or two."

"In a day or two." The clerk nodded faintly.

"In fact… everybody who stops in here today gets gas for free." Damon added, feeling a bit petty.

"Gas for free."

"And I'm taking this." Damon grabbed a plastic container of beef jerky, tucking it under his arm. "And this." As a last thought he picked up a pack of gummy bears by the door before stepping out into the sunlight. "Let's go." He called out to Elena.

"Wow got the munchies do you?" Elena laughed, seeing the stash of snacks in his arms.

"Just couldn't resist a good deal when I saw one." He smirked, tossing the food into the back seat and removing the gas pump from the back of the SUV.

*** back from commercial ***

Soon they were back on the road again, speeding down the interstate. "So I know you won't tell me where we're going but would you mind sharing how long you think it'll take to get there?" Elena asked, watching him drive.

"Why, you got a hot date waiting for you back home?"

She should have expected him to say something like that but it still brought a smile to her lips. "No, I'm just thinking if it's likely to be another night away from home I'm gonna need something else besides that ridiculous t-shirt you got for me." She'd changed back into her tank top before leaving the motel, but the t-shirt now lay in the back with her meager possessions.

"You're really high maintenance you know that?" He complained.

"What? How do you figure I'm high maintenance exactly? We left with nothing but the clothes on my back." It wasn't like she'd demanded he provide her with a new wardrobe or make-up or anything.

"Yeah but it's always something. I need shampoo, I need something to sleep in, I need to stop and use the bathroom… again. You're more trouble than a puppy." Damon grumbled.

"Would you rather I go on the floor of the car like a puppy?" Elena quirked a brow at him. "Hey you're the one who insisted I come along, if you're tired of my company already…"

"No…" Damon was quick to interject. "No, it's not that… it's… you know what, nevermind." He muttered, much to her amusement.

"So okay, if I am coming with you wherever we're going, like I said I'm gonna need a few things."

"Okay, okay, message received loud and clear. I'll keep my eyes open for someplace." Damon agreed with a sigh.

It was another hour before an opportunity presented itself and they pulled off the road into the parking lot of a grocery store of sorts, part of a small chain neither of them had ever heard of before. As they stepped in through the entrance (no automatic doors of course), they surveyed the old fashioned market, doubt forming on Elena's face.

"Alright get to it sweet cheeks. Knock yourself out baby, money is no object." He grinned, pushing the sunglasses to the top of his head.

"Here? This is a grocery store… I think." The place looked like it hadn't been renovated in forty years. Maybe longer.

"Well, it's no pretty woman shopping montage but it'll have to do till we get some place a little bigger." Damon nudged her shoulder with his before giving an intimidating scowl to a customer who was giving them a curious look. "This store should have everything you need."

"Oh don't be such a grouch." She smacked him lightly, catching the look he'd given the customer. Her choices would be seriously limited, but at least she could get some basics. "I think some shoes to start with." She said decisively, striding off to the row in question based on the overhead signs. Given the heat, a pair of sandals or flip flops would be ideal and probably about the best she was going to find in a place like that.

His mouth dropped open when she gave him a smack, but he didn't comment. "Grouch? I'm not a grouch." Damon muttered, following after her.

"Yeah try to say that in a less grouchy manner." She scoffed, leading him to the aisle in question. "Oh yes... these are very, very nice here..." Elena commented sarcastically, looking over the row of slippers, flip flops and ugly little rubber shoes.

Damon looked over the shoes, and had to agree that the choices were a little limited. "It's the best we can do." He shrugged.

"Alright then... I'll choose these ones." Elena picked a pair of bright pink flip flops that looked like they would glow in the dark, tossing them into the cart. "Okay, let's see if there's some panties that don't look like they belong to my Grandma."

He raised a brow at her last. "If you want to pick out panties, I'd be more than happy to help." Damon grinned wolfishly.

"Would you now... are you an expert in that department?" She gave him an arch smile, turning the corner to the next aisle.

"I do have some experience. Too bad there won't be time to model them," He replied, his eyes flashing with amusement.

"Yeah, fat chance of me modeling them through the aisles." She scoffed, picking up a brand of basic old lady underwear in her size.

"There's room for me in there with you." Damon scowled over her choice of undergarments.

"It'll take more than that to get into my panties Damon." She grinned, enjoying the flash of surprise in his eyes as she flirted with him. It felt good, she felt good, alive… out here in the middle of nowhere in a dumpy little grocery store.

"Good thing I'm a patient man." Damon grinned back, following her through the aisles.

There wasn't much in the way of clothes, but she was able to pick out a package of men's wifebeaters that she thought would fit her alright, and a pair of shorts that would be more comfortable than her jeans during the day. Elena made him go through every aisle, taking her time over picking out a pair of sun glasses and some other toiletries and a tote bag to put them all in.

Damon seemed to get into the swing of things after an aisle or two, even contributing a few things to the cart along the way. Paying for their purchases with the stolen credit card, his spirits lifted as they returned to the car.

"I'm gonna change out of these jeans in the back." Elena called out, pulling the shorts from the bag and opening the rear door.

"Don't let me stop you." Damon grinned, climbing into the driver's seat and adjusting the rear view mirror to get a better look at her.

"Hey… eyes on the road!" Elena protested, reaching forward to tweak the mirror to a different position.

"Now Elena, safety first. You must never touch the mirrors, they have been specifically calibrated by the driver to ensure the best possible… view." He smirked.

With a long suffering sigh, Elena reached for the button to her jeans, starting to wriggle out of them, regardless of him watching. After all he'd seen her in less the night before; she would rather just get it over with than argue it at this point.

Damon made no move to start the car, his eyes on her through the mirror as she changed, drinking in every inch of her lovely bare skin. "We should find a place with a pool, get you a bikini…"

She met his eyes in the mirror. "I thought you wanted to stay on the road? Not a whole lot of time for sunbathing on a road trip."

"I'll drive twice as fast when we're on the road." He replied and she wasn't sure if he was kidding or utterly serious from the look on his face.

"We're not gonna find a bikini here at the Piggly Wiggly, I suggest you get us going." She returned, pulling the shorts up over her hips and sliding on the flip flops. "Or better yet, how about giving me a turn at the wheel?"

"Yeah? You feel like driving?" Damon shrugged, sliding over to the passenger's seat with more grace that she would have thought given the enclosed space.

A little surprised to find him relinquishing the driver's seat so easily, Elena climbed over the center console and into the front seat, somewhat less gracefully than Damon had. "Alright, let's get this show on the road." She turned on the ignition, repositioning all the mirrors and moving the seat a little closer before she pulled out of the parking lot. "And of course… the driver picks the music." Elena added, switching on the car stereo and flipping through the pre-set stations until she found one she liked that was playing 'hits of the sixties through the nineties'.

"Oh now come on, this is where I draw the line." Damon gave her a look that spoke volumes as Cher blared through the car speakers asking if he believed in life after love.

"What? This is what people do on road trips, right? Buy junk food, drive too fast and sing along with whatever's on the radio." She grinned over at him, singing along with passable vocals.

"I am _not_ singing along to this." He maintained sourly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

Elena giggled at the look on his face, singing blithely along as though she was having the time of her life.

Damon turned away to look out the window, his hand covering the smile on his own lips as he listened to her enjoying herself.

**A/N: any guesses as to where they're going next? If I get good suggestions I just might incorporate them into the plot. **

**Feedback is love people **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the canon characters. **

**There were some good guesses as to where they're going and one person got it right (you know who you are!) but I won't reveal the final destination just yet. **

**Props to velja for asking the question: **_**Doesn't Damon need a change of clothes too?  
He doesn't seem to be the kind of guy to go long in one and the same outfit.**_

**Right you are! Sorry for not addressing it yet, but since Damon planned this little safari, he did actually pack a bag for himself. As we have seen, he definitely likes his designer clothes, but I'm thinking he's willing to travel a little light for the trip and buy what he needs as he goes.**

**Okay this chapter ended up a little long, but I hated to carve it up into two so here goes…**

Dinner was at another diner just past the Arkansas border into Oklahoma, this one doing a brisk business and somewhat more updated than their stop for breakfast. Halfway through dinner, Damon excused himself, rising from the table. Elena followed him with her eyes, not quite sure what he was up to from the look on his face. As she watched, he approached their waitress, leaning against the counter as he chatted with her, being perfectly charming as usual when he wanted something.

The waitress, a perky young blonde named Adria who seemed over fond of the word _y'all_ smiled back at Damon, only too happy to take a break from her customers to shoot the breeze with the handsome man. Something tightened in Elena's stomach as she watched them talk and laugh, especially when he reached out to touch her shoulder, his fingers grazing lightly down the bare skin of the girl's arm before they disappeared together through the hallway towards the restrooms.

No longer interested in her dinner, Elena found herself rising to her feet, moving with quick steps towards the restrooms, fearing the worst. A quick check of the ladies room found it completely deserted, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek as she debated entering the men's room. The sound of girlish laughter drew her attention away from the restroom door and she looked through the swinging door to the kitchen, noticing the exterior door on the other side of the room. Had they slipped outside instead?

With a nervous look into the kitchen, Elena pressed against the swinging door, hesitating in the opening for just a moment until she decided to just go for it. Moving fast like she had a purpose, she strode across the kitchen, making a beeline for the exterior door and stepping out into the night air behind the restaurant.

Once outside, she shut the door behind her, pausing a moment until her eyes adjusted to the darkness. A wave of foolishness swept over her just then; was she really standing out in the dark behind the restaurant? Hoping to find what exactly? She had just decided to turn and go back to her dinner when she heard the girl's laughter followed by Damon's voice, pitched low and intimate. She'd heard that voice far too many times not to gauge the intent; that was the voice he used when he was hell bent on getting something he wanted.

Her feet moved of their own volition, propelling her forward towards the sound of the voices even though Elena was pretty sure she wouldn't like what she found there. As she came around the side of the dumpster she spotted them, the girl leaning back against the building, Damon's body pressed up close to hers. Elena felt her cheeks flush as she watched them together; the girl's moans of pleasure making it clear that she enjoyed what it was he was doing to her. Damon's dark head was pressed to her throat, his hands busy out of sight.

A gasp left Elena's lips, drawing Damon to look up, his eyes unerringly finding hers, his lips curved up into a smile before his head bent again to drink his fill from the girl. Elena backed up, so many emotions roiling through her she wasn't sure where one ended and another began. She drew a couple of looks as she passed through the kitchen but she pressed through, heading straight for the ladies room. Turning on the cold water, she wet a paper towel, pressing it to her burning cheeks as she stared at herself in the mirror.

What was it that bothered her more? That's she'd caught him feeding or that she'd caught him with another woman? Why either of those should bother her overmuch was beyond her. It wasn't like she'd just found out what he was; she'd known he was a vampire for quite some time now and that he preferred to eat… people. He'd been upfront about that from day one. And it wasn't like she and Damon were together… like that. Sure they flirted, and she knew that he had feelings for her on some level; but apart from playful remarks he'd never pressed his suit, not even when Stefan had left her. Only she'd felt in the past couple of days that they were growing closer… maybe it had meant something different to him than it had to her? What _had_ it meant to her? God she was so confused…

*** back from commercial***

Damon was already back at the table by the time she returned, feeling footloose and fancy free. Rising to his feet as she approached, he gave her a slight bow as he waited for her to take her seat.

With a somewhat sullen expression on her face, Elena slid into the seat opposite him, no longer interested in her food. "Are we ready to go then?" She said tersely, avoiding his gaze.

"You didn't even finish your dinner." His brows drew together, and he plopped down into his seat, courtly manners forgotten.

"I've lost my appetite." She replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Shit… was he in the doghouse over that waitress? But she _knew_ he had to feed, they'd even talked about it before. Maybe that was different from actually stumbling upon it? Did she think he was a monster now that she'd seen it with her own eyes? "Elena…" He sighed. "I don't get what the big deal is. The girl is just fine, she's putting on a touch of make-up right now, you can see her for yourself in just a minute."

"That's something at least. I'd hate to have the cops chasing us on this road trip." Elena muttered, her arms hugging themselves.

His jaw tightened at the accusation but he forced his voice to be calm. "I don't need to kill to feed." It was just fun… but he'd curbed that instinct for a few months now. Hell he was practically declawed for chrissakes. "You know what I am, it's not like I ever kept anything from you."

"No I get it, you're a regular boyscout." Elena's eyes snapped up to meet his, anger seeping into her voice.

"What do you want me to do? I need to feed to survive, it's not like I can stop off at seven eleven and pick up a big gulp of O positive, you know." His mouth twisted into a wry grin.

"No, I know…" Elena sighed.

"You weren't going to offer anytime soon, were you? I thought we'd established that this morning." He raised a single brow.

"No." She replied shortly.

He watched her body language for a moment. There was no disgust over the act, she was angry. What the hell did she have to be so angry about? And then it hit him… she was acting almost… "Elena… are you jealous?"

"Of course not!" Elena snapped, but her eyes flashed with something that led him to believe there was more to it than that.

The corner of his mouth tugged up into a smile, her denial had told him everything he needed to know. "No, of course not." He replied smugly, rising from the table to go and pay the check, smiling politely but indifferently to Adria who came to the register.

*** back from commercial***

The next hour was fairly quiet in the dark SUV, Damon was content to bide his time until she was ready to talk about it. Back behind the driver's seat again, the dark car sped through the night and he was all too happy to wait out the silent treatment before they pulled over for the night. The last thing he wanted was for it to extend to the bedroom.

Finally he broke the silence, unable to take it any longer. "I'm sorry if I upset you." He said softly, a little disturbed because it was true. Since when did he feel any regret over his nature?

Elena looked up in surprise. "You are?"

"There's a first time for everything, right?" Damon chuckled over the blatant surprise in her voice. "Next time I'll be sure to do it when you're not around."

"Like that makes it better." Elena snorted, her expression souring again.

"What do you want me to say Elena? I have to feed to survive, and it's harder than it looks to steal from a bloodbank and not get caught." He was silent for a moment. "I'm trying to do the right thing, I mean as right as it gets for someone of my kind."

"I know." She said softly, looking out the window. "It was just so… intimate."

He was right, she'd been jealous, not disgusted and he wondered if she'd made that realization herself yet? "Isn't that better than just attacking someone at random? Scaring the crap out of them? At least that girl went home with a very pleasant memory."

"Yeah and bite marks all over her throat!"

"Technically it's more sanitary than a dog bite and much more satisfying."

"It really doesn't bother you, rubbing up against a total stranger?"

"Should it? Like I said, you're not offering yourself, are you?" Her silence spoke volumes in the darkness of the car. "That's what I thought." Damon returned his eyes to the road.

"Look, if it makes you feel better I won't pick any hot girls. In fact I'll find the butt-ugliest chick I can find." He offered, proud of himself for thinking of the compromise.

Elena laughed in spite of herself. "How about we just go back to the don't ask, don't tell policy? I think ignorance might be bliss after all."

"Okay, I can totally do that." Damon promised, a little relieved to hear her laughter.

*** back from commercial***

The motel was nicer this time and newer, boasting several amenities including in room pay per view movies. Damon had still arranged for a single queen bed though and had been surprised when Elena hadn't questioned it. The air conditioner was cranked up all the way and Elena had made a beeline for it, standing in front of it with her eyes closed, sighing contentedly.

"Oh come on, it's not that hot outside." He snorted, kicking off his shoes and lying on what was becoming his side of the bed, once again stealing her pillow.

"You only say that because vampires aren't as susceptible to heat as humans are. Don't you remember what it was like in the summertime before you were turned?"

"That was a very, very long time ago, the memory has faded with age." But a smile teased the corner of his mouth as he recalled a time before air conditioning.

"Well I'm hot." Elena huffed, holding the front of her tank top out to allow for a bit of airflow under her top.

"I'll say you are." Damon muttered, watching her from his vantage point on the bed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"I'm gonna take a nice cool shower to help cool me off." She gathered up her tote bag full of possessions and started for the bathroom.

"Want some company?" He quirked a brow at her.

"I said I wanted to cool off, not get heated up." Elena smiled over her shoulder.

_She was definitely thawing._ Damon smiled to himself as he lay back on the bed. She was much quicker in the shower this time and by the time Elena came out he was lying in the same position only just wearing his jeans.

"Ooh now it's actually kinda cold in here." Elena shivered, setting her bag down next to the little table and chairs. She was wearing the little pair of shorts and one of the wifebeaters, tied at the waist so it wouldn't gape too much and show her goodies.

"High maintenance…" Damon grumbled, getting up to turn the a/c down a little. "You're not gonna fall asleep on me right away this time are you?"

"I'm not as tired tonight. Why, is there something good on TV?" Elena stole her pillow back while he was up and sat up on the bed, grabbing for the remote.

"Ladies choice." He shrugged, moving to join her on the bed. She smelled like strawberries again, sweet and alluring.

"Oh there's pay per view movies." Elena clicked on the 'on demand' feature, scrolling through the choices. "Oh… they're like twelve dollars a piece."

"Don't sweat it sweetie, it's chump change." Damon winked at her. "Pick whatever you want."

Elena was silent for a moment, tabbing through the movies, looking for what she wanted to watch the most. "Oh how about this one? I love this movie!" She smiled excitedly.

Damon wasn't as thrilled with her choice. "On second thought give me that remote back." He snatched it from her grasp.

"Hey! Give that back! You said I could pick the movie!" Elena tried to grab it back, outraged at the theft.

"That was before you picked that sappy chick flick." Damon retorted, holding the remote out of reach, then shifting it to his other hand when she scrambled to get it.

Undaunted, Elena climbed halfway on top of him, determined to get the remote back. "So, you said I could pick and that's what I want to watch!" She insisted, making another grab for the remote, a giggle escaping her lips.

Damon found that he was giggling back over this game of keep away, easily managing to keep it from her grasp, he enjoyed her enthusiasm in trying to get it back. "I take it back, _I'll _decide what we get to watch."

"No fair!" Elena changed tactics then, fingers dancing across the sensitive skin of his abdomen.

A yelp of surprise left Damon's lips then as his muscles leapt in protest of the tickling. His arms came in predictably to shield his sides.

Elena snatched the remote away with a squeal of triumph.

"Oh you're dead…" Damon growled, pouncing on her, his hands falling to her delicate sides to give her a dose of her own medicine. Though at the moment the remote was the least of his concerns, he was far too interest in the feel of her beneath him, her pliant body under his hands, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath.

Her eyes flew wide with panic as he pursued her, realizing only too late that she didn't stand a chance against him. "Here, here… take it!" Elena thrust the remote towards his hands, squirming under him.

Damon deftly grabbed the remote but flung it aside, refusing to give up his perch atop her. "Too late, now you're gonna have to pay..." His eyes held a mischievous glint as he continued his tender assault.

"Damon please…" Elena gasped, her hands doing their best to still his hands, she succeeded in twining her fingers though his.

_God she was beautiful._ Her face flushed with healthy exertion, eyes bright and shining, lips parted as she caught her breath. More than anything he wanted to lean down and kiss her, lose himself in her goodness for at least a little while; but something held him back. Instead he pulled back a little to get a better look at her. "Compromise?" He quirked a brow.

"I'm listening." Elena panted, shifting slightly.

"How about we each pick a movie? That's the only way to be fair." He suggested. Perhaps he was imagining things but he thought he saw a trace of disappointment in her face at his suggestion. Had she thought he would propose something else?

"Who goes first?" She asked, her body losing its rigidity and relaxing beneath him.

"Flip a coin?"

"Deal. Do you have a coin?"

"In my right front pocket." Damon grinned down at her. "Help yourself." He didn't think she'd do it but she let go of one of his hands and reached her slender hand between them, fingers slipping into the tight denim and coming up with a quarter. Oh yes, his Elena was definitely coming back to life… "Call it."

"Heads." Elena answered decisively, tossing the coin up into the air.

Damon snatched it out of the air and clapped it down against the bedspread. "Aw… tails. Sorry, you lose sweetheart." He grinned, climbing off of her and retrieving the remote. "Now then… what shall we watch…" The remote display hovered over the Adult selection for a moment, just teasing but anticipating her response.

"You wouldn't dare…" Elena gasped.

"Sounds like a dare to me…" Damon shrugged, pulling up the display for Assterpiece Theater.

"Damon! I am not gonna sit here and watch porn with you!" Elena sat up, pushing back her wealth of dark hair to stare at him intently.

"Keep your panties on, I was just teasing." Damon chuckled, selecting a horror movie instead. "Aw too bad, this one was in 3D in the theaters, hopefully it doesn't lose something in the translation."

"Oh… well this is fine." Elena calmed beside him, shifting to a more comfortable position.

"Glad it's got your seal of approval." Damon nodded, setting down the remote and snapping off the lights. "Gotta have the lights out for a horror movie." He added by way of explanation. Elena seemed to accept that without argument and they settled in to watch the movie. Truth be told he was more interested in watching her reaction to the movie that to watch it himself. All of her little gasps and squeals when something surprising happened, the groans when something cheesy happened and the cute way she talked to the TV when someone was about to get slashed; he was entranced by her performance.

Elena was utterly absorbed by the movie, unconsciously moving closer to him as it progressed, clutching to his arm every time she got scared. When the end credits started rolling she was embarrassed to find herself holding fast to him, little welts appearing on his skin from her nails. "Ooh, sorry, I didn't realize…" She apologized, letting go of him quickly.

"It's okay, I've had worse." He smirked, handing over the remote. "Your turn milady."

"Thank you kind sir." Elena smiled back at him, accepting the remote and returning to the romantic comedy section.

"I can't promise I'll stay awake though." Damon cautioned her, taking the opportunity to strip off his jeans and slide under the covers in his underwear.

Selecting the movie she wanted, Elena set down the remote and scooted under the covers as the music started to swell. "Come on… you have to admit, you do have a romantic side to you."

Damon gave an inelegant snort. "What in the name of seven hells leads you to a conclusion like that?"

"You never gave up on Katherine, even after more than a hundred years because you loved her. If that's not romantic, I don't know what is." Her smile was radiant, confident that she'd made her point.

For a long moment he just stared back at her, conflicting emotions warring within him. On the one hand, the reminder of his years spent pining over Katherine wasn't something that normally put him in a very good mood. On the other, he had to agree, there was definitely a romantic side to him. One that was willing to crawl through broken glass to shower Elena with rose petals if he thought it would do any good. Damon was willing to watch any sappy movie she conjured up, hell he'd even listen to Kenny G if it made her happy. Did she realize how utterly she commanded him with the tiniest of smiles?

But he couldn't let her realize the power she had over him or he'd be lost. Carefully he replaced the smirk on his lips. "Yeah and look where that got me."

"Don't be such a grouch." Elena grumbled, shifting her pillow till it was a bit more comfortable, unconsciously leaning closer to him in the process.

"I'm not a grouch." Damon returned, in a deliberately grouchy tone, gratified to find her snuggling a little closer to him.

"Shh, it's starting." Elena whispered, her rapt attention wholly focused on the screen.

Once again Damon watched her watch the movie, her beautifully expressive face that smiled when the heroine smiled and teared up when the lovers separated, only to smile through new tears when they finally reunited. Some time during the movie they'd shifted even closer, her dark head resting against his shoulder and when the end credits came up, he was loathe to move or say something to break the spell.

Elena was the first to speak, "There, that wasn't so bad was it?" She yawned, snapping off the TV and leaving them bathed in darkness.

"No, it wasn't so bad." Damon allowed softly. He had to agree, there were definitely worse ways to spend an evening. "Maybe tomorrow we can…" A loud pop was heard outside the window and even though it was already dark in the room, they were enveloped in absolute darkness as the power went out for the whole motel.

"What's going on?" Elena's voice was tense, instantly alert.

"Duh, power's out." He couldn't resist teasing her, slipping out of bed with inhuman speed and moving to the window where he carefully drew aside the curtains.

"Yeah but why is it out? I mean is there trouble out there?"

"Shut up a minute, I'm listening." Damon snapped, his head canting to one side, muscles coiled to attack if necessary. Elena went still, but he could hear her heart jack hammering in her chest. After everything the poor girl had been through he could understand her assuming the worst. After a moment his stance relaxed and he came away from the window. "It's no biggie, a car crashed into a power pole down the road, it blew the transformer. They should have it back up in a few hours." He informed her, slipping back into bed.

"Really? That's all it was?"

"Nope, I'm lying to you. Come to bed Elena, we've got a long day of driving tomorrow." Damon sighed, patting the mattress beside him.

"Okay." Her voice was soft, and he could tell she was still worried as she climbed under the covers.

"Come here." He gathered her close, his arm wrapping around her.

Elena went willingly to his side, taking the comfort he offered.

"Even if baddies were out there, you don't have to worry. Nobody's more badass than I am and I'd never let anyone hurt you." He pressed a soft kiss into her hair.

"I know. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little jumpy these days."

"You've gotta stop jumping at shadows Elena. It's been a helluva year, but it's not all doom and gloom. Good things do happen sometimes." Damon reminded her, his hand smoothing over her back comfortingly.

"Yeah? Like what?" She challenged him.

"Like me." He answered cockily as if that was patently obvious.

Elena had to laugh at the tone of his voice. "At least I don't have to worry about the air conditioner being out, I've got my own cooler here." She tried for a weak joke as she lay against his cool skin.

"That's my girl." Damon's arm tightened reflexively around her.

**A/N: Not all fluffy fun this chapter, sorry couldn't resist a little bit of angst. But I think it was an important conflict to have, it helped get Elena thinking a little about how she feels about Damon and addressed his need to eat while they're on the trip. Besides, I made up for it with the tickle fight, so all is good, no? The snuggles? **

**Feedback is love people **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the canon characters. If I did it would be me on the roadtrip with Damon…**

"_You've gotta stop jumping at shadows Elena. It's been a helluva year, but it's not all doom and gloom. Good things do happen sometimes." Damon reminded her, his hand smoothing over her back comfortingly. _

"_Yeah? Like what?" She challenged him._

"_Like me." He answered cockily as if that was patently obvious. _

_Elena had to laugh at the tone of his voice. "At least I don't have to worry about the air conditioner being out, I've got my own cooler here." She tried for a weak joke as she lay against his cool skin. _

"_That's my girl." Damon's arm tightened reflexively around her. _

*** whoosh, whoosh, whoosh ***

Damon fell back against the sheets, taking heavy breaths he didn't need as he came down from the overwhelming rush of fulfillment, tumbling her down beside him.

"So… was it worth the wait?" She breathed, tossing her hair back as she snuggled in close to his body.

"Definitely." A lazy smile rose to Damon's lips, "How did you do that thing with your back?" Elena had amazed him with her… natural talents.

"A girl's gotta have her secrets." Elena gave him an impish grin, propping her head up on her hand to look down at him.

"I'm all for secrets, especially the kind that lead to more of that." He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder.

Elena's fingertips moved lazily over his bare chest, tracing idle patterns over his skin. "We should stay here for a few days, don't you think? Wherever we're going can wait."

As far as Damon was concerned they could never get out of that bed again and he could die a happy man. "Yeah of course we can, Angel. Hell, we can stay here for as long as you like."

Her answering smile was beatific. "Good. I love the trees here, they're so friendly." Elena sighed happily, laying her cheek back down on his chest.

Damon gave a snort of laughter, "Have you gone completely mental? The _trees_ are friendly?" The statement merited the raise of both eyebrows.

The reaction drew a weak punch to his shoulder, Elena's lips pouting into a disgruntled moue of protest. "Stop making fun of me. The trees _are_ friendly I tell you."

"And you know this how?" He smiled in amusement. God she was adorable when she was annoyed... Hence the reason for his constant teasing.

"I don't know, I just feel it." Elena left the warmth of the bed and padded naked to the window, looking out at the forest surrounding the remote cabin.

Damon followed, enfolding her into his embrace as they stood at the window; looking out over the dense, verdant forest. "Okay we can stay here with the friendly trees for as long as you want." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I wish we could" Elena sighed, her face turning up to regard him solemnly over her shoulder.

"Who's to say we can't?" Damon bent down and closed the distance between their lips in a tender kiss.

Elena returned the kiss but pulled away finally, her gaze returning to the trees outside the window. "I have to go."

"No, stay with me." His arms tightened around her slender waist, drawing her back against his chest.

"I don't want to go, but you're about to wake up." Elena replied, a touch of amusement to her voice.

Damon frowned at the notion, he could already start to feel the dream starting to slip away with the acknowledgement that he was asleep. "What if I don't want to wake up?"

"Don't be silly. How else are you gonna get me for real?" She smiled, turning in his grasp to raise up on her tiptoes and drop a kiss on his lips.

He was still considering that when she pulled away, the edges of the dream becoming blurry and indistinct.

"I'll see you tomorrow night." Elena smiled, her eyes full of promise.

*** whoosh, whoosh, whoosh ***

"Really? You want to go camping?" Elena's voice was rife with disbelief, her brows climbing skyward.

"Sure, why not? You're not one of those girly girls that's afraid of bugs and stuff, are you?" Damon gave her a sidelong look, firmly ensconced behind the driver's wheel again. Mindful of the fact that Elena didn't seem to like the heat, Damon had broken off of route 40 and taken a sharp turn north in search of a more temperate climate. As the scenery had changed he had revised his travel plans, looking to keep things fresh and interesting. He had to admit there was a certain allure in the idea of spending a night out under the stars with her, especially given the setting of his dream.

"No, it's not that, it's just not what I was expecting, that's all." Elena shrugged. "You realize we don't have any camping gear, no tent, sleeping bags, cooking utensils, not to mention hiking boots or anything like that."

"That's what plastic is for." He grinned.

"You mean like… a tarp?" Her brow crumpled in confusion.

"No, I mean like a credit card, genius." Damon chuckled, "I'm pretty sure they sell that stuff out here somewhere. Take a look out the window. Crisp fresh air, cool mountain streams… there's bound to be a Big 5 Sporting goods or an Outdoor World around here nearby."

"Oh, right." Elena flushed with embarrassment. "You do a lot of camping in your day?"

"A fair amount." He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a five star hotel with the best of em and I'm a big fan of modern plumbing, but sometimes I like to get back to my roots, slow things down a bit."

Elena nodded, "Yeah I know what you mean. Leave it all behind and just enjoy nature." She turned her face up to the sun, a smile returning to her lips.

"Plus, less chance of getting caught hunting campers in the middle of nowhere." His grin widened.

"Hey…don't ask, don't tell, remember?" Elena objected, but the smile remained on her face.

"So you're up for it? We just drive off the road and stop somewhere pretty, sleep out under the stars?" Someplace secluded sounded much better than an actual campground.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun." She nodded. "As long as we don't get lost."

"Woman, I haven't been lost a day in my life." Damon boasted, pulling off the main highway towards the exit sign for Wilson Lake, it sounded promising enough.

"Uh huh, especially since the advent of GPS." Elena smirked, looking out the window at the approaching town. "Oh over there, see that canoe? I bet they have camping gear." She pointed excitedly.

"Good eye." He nodded, pulling into the parking lot. "Now let's not go crazy, I mean we're not going camping for a week or anything." He couldn't stand being without his creature comforts for more than a couple of days. It would be something else if they had a cabin like in his dream but sleeping out on the ground was a different story. Of course the more gear they bought the more comfortable their little camping trip would be… "On second thought, knock yourself out, buy any little thing your heart desires, money is no object." Damon grinned, moving with super speed to open her car door after parking.

"Why thank you." Elena smiled at the display of manners, preceding him into the store. Once again she led him to the far corner of the store, intent on examining every aisle so as not to miss anything they had to offer. The store had a large selection of hunting, camping, fishing gear as well as sports equipment and a decent clothing selection for activewear.

"You know you should pick out some other clothes too, it can't be comfortable being out in the summer in those dark clothes." She pointed out.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Damon frowned down at the black leather jacket over the black designer t-shirt that clung to his muscular form. "I'm not susceptible to the heat remember?"

"Yeah but you kinda stand out in all that black. Who wears black in the middle of the summer?" She quirked a brow at him.

"Hey, style never goes out of fashion." He said loftily, "I can rock any look you throw at me though." A grin spread over his face.

"Yeah? So you're saying you'd… be able to rock… something like this?" Elena pulled a pair of long swim trunks off of a rack, a riot of bright primary colors splashing across the material.

"I could, though it's not what I'd particularly call stylish." He allowed.

"Yeah but I'm not saying it's stylish, that's the point. You said you could rock any look. So what about this…?" She held out a fluorescent orange hunter's vest.

"Ick… I'll pass. I'm not saying I wouldn't be the foxiest hunter in the woods but I'm not exactly worried about being shot."

"True, plus it's not keeping to the summer theme." Elena agreed, her finger tapping against her lips as she surveyed the racks of clothing. "Oh… this. You should definitely try this." She grinned, holding up a tiny pair of men's navy blue speedos.

"This isn't Italy or the seventies." He grimaced, but he accepted the swimsuit when she passed it over to him, along with the longer colorful shorts.

"You have to be open to trying new things." Elena chastised him, handing over a pair of khaki shorts with a zillion pockets all over them.

"Okay but turnabout is fair play." Damon grinned in return.

"Huh?"

"You have to be open to trying new things as well." He gave her a wolfish grin, moving closer to her, reaching past her to grab a string bikini in fire engine red.

Elena swallowed, perhaps from the thought of wearing the skimpy bikini for him or perhaps from his close proximity. "I'll try it on." She promised.

"We have to find a mall soon." He muttered absently, thinking he had to get her to a Victoria's Secret. The granny panties she'd been wearing were tantamount to a crime on a body like hers.

They split up then, each picking out clothes suitable for hiking or swimming for each other and adding them to a pile. Then they exchanged piles, retiring to the changing rooms and promising to come out and model the outfit for each other.

The first outfit on, they came out to show each other the result; Elena in a modest one piece bathing suit that she'd slipped into the pile and Damon in the colorful swim shorts and a bright yellow sleeveless t-shirt.

"I like this one, it's comfortable and it covers everything okay." Elena commented, turning in front of the mirror.

"It covers too much." Damon frowned. "My grandmother wore more to the beach than that."

"She did not." Elena laughed, meeting his eyes in the mirror. "Wow that shirt is…"

"I'm gonna need a pair of sunglasses if I wear this outfit." He smirked. "I think pass for both of these."

"But I like this one." Elena protested.

"Try the bikini." He insisted.

"Not just yet, there's some other stuff I want to try on first." Elena shook her head, disappearing back into the changing room. She emerged next in a little tennis outfit, white with a blue striping. Damon came out in the khaki shorts and a blue muscle T.

"That's better, but I didn't notice any tennis courts in the woods." Damon commented, watching her check herself out in the mirror."

"I like it though, it's cute." She turned around to see the back. "You look… kinda normal. Weird." Elena commented, seeing him in the casual clothes.

"Well we can't have that, now can we?" He smirked, disappearing into the changing room.

Next Elena came out dressed in a pair of walking shorts with a tank top, comfortable and light but not particularly sexy or stylish. Her eyes were riveted to his reflection in the mirror as Damon emerged from the dressing room, wearing the little pair of speedos.

"So… do I still look normal?" Damon grinned, as she checked him out. What he assumed was meant to be a joke outfit perfectly showcased his sculpted physique. Well formed legs, rippling abs, muscular arms, there wasn't an ounce of spare fat on him. He'd walked around the motel room in his boxer briefs in front of her before, but it wasn't the same as this tight fitting suit that outlined his every… asset.

"Ah… you look ah…" Elena swallowed again.

"Good, that's what I was going for." He smirked, moving closer, pinning her up against the three way mirror that she stood before. They were in a public place, but the store wasn't overly populated. "Go try on the red bikini." If he could have compelled her, he would have. More than anything he wanted to see her in it.

She hesitated for a moment, still a little overwhelmed at his proximity, his reflection surrounding her. How was she supposed to think straight when he was so near?

"For me." Damon stepped away, allowing her to move past him.

"Alright." She replied softly, disappearing into the changing room.

He remained out in the aisle, not wanting to miss the moment when she stepped out. But when she didn't emerge, Damon grew impatient. "How long does it take to put on a bikini."

There was silence for a moment before she called out, her voice nervous. "It's too small."

"It is not, I picked out the size myself." He called back arrogantly. "Now come out here and let me see."

"No… I think another style might be better…" Elena hesitated.

In one swift motion, Damon vaulted the six foot changing room door and landed light as a cat beside her in the cramped stall. "It fits just fine." He said nonchalantly, his eyes traveling over her form with undisguised avarice.

"Damon!" Elena hissed, startled at his sudden appearance, her arms automatically crossing over her chest and unwittingly making her breasts jut out even more.

"Oh we are definitely buying this. I don't care if you never wear it out, as long as you wear it for me." Damon advanced on her then, good intentions forgotten, his fingers itching to touch her.

Elena backed up until her body was pressed against the mirror, her eyes drifting shut the moment his cool skin pressed against hers. Wearing as little as they both were, it was as though she could feel him along the entire length of her body. Her head fell to one side lips brushing over the cool skin of his chest.

Pressed up against her yielding warmth, his hands stroked her shoulders and down her arms. "Elena…" Damon breathed, his breath cool against her throat as he nuzzled against her cheek, her skin soft as sin. There was no thought of repercussions, or whether or not it was too soon to make his intentions so blatantly known with her there warm and accepting. He simply could not control himself.

"Only one per dressing room please!" A sharp rap came on the door, the woman's voice sounding flustered.

Damon made no move to pull away, in fact he gave no sign that he'd heard her at all.

"Damon…" Elena whispered, her eyes popping open and cheeks flushing with mortification at being caught in such a compromising position.

"Ignore her, what's she gonna do, call the cops?" His lips feathered along the side of her cheek as he spoke, moving back towards her ear.

"Yeah, maybe." That was all they needed!

"So, let her call them, I can handle a couple of local yokels." A half shrug was given. Undeterred, he caught the lobe of her ear up between his teeth and sucked it into his mouth.

Elena made a sound, somewhere between a moan of delight and a squeal of protest. "Damon please… not here, not now." She struggled to pull away and regain her thoughts.

"But soon?" His icy blue eyes arrested her, not letting her avoid his gaze until she answered him.

"Soon." She nodded, her voice was barely above a whisper, breathless at the prospect of continuing this with him later.

**A/N: The other fic inspired me to add a dream sequence from Damon's POV this time. Ok I was not planning on having that scene in the dressing room at all but the characters sort of waylaid me and took over! **

**Feedback is love people **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the canon characters. If I did it would be me on the roadtrip with Damon…**

_Pressed up against her yielding warmth, his hands stroked her shoulders and down her arms. "Elena…" Damon breathed, his breath cool against her throat as he nuzzled against her cheek, her skin soft as sin. There was no thought of repercussions, or whether or not it was too soon to make his intentions so blatantly known with her there warm and accepting. He simply could not control himself. _

"_Only one per dressing room please!" A sharp rap came on the door, the woman's voice sounding flustered. _

_Damon made no move to pull away, in fact he gave no sign that he'd heard her at all._

"_Damon…" Elena whispered, her eyes popping open and cheeks flushing with mortification at being caught in such a compromising position. _

"_Ignore her, what's she gonna do, call the cops?" His lips feathered along the side of her cheek as he spoke, moving back towards her ear._

"_Yeah, maybe." That was all they needed!_

"_So, let her call them, I can handle a couple of local yokels." A half shrug was given. Undeterred, he caught the lobe of her ear up between his teeth and sucked it into his mouth._

_Elena made a sound, somewhere between a moan of delight and a squeal of protest. "Damon please… not here, not now." She struggled to pull away and regain her thoughts._

"_But soon?" His icy blue eyes arrested her, not letting her avoid his gaze until she answered him._

"_Soon." She nodded, her voice was barely above a whisper, breathless at the prospect of continuing this with him later. _

* * *

_Soon. _The word was heavy on her mind as they finished making their purchases. Elena found herself recalling that last exchange over and over in her mind, a shiver going down her spine every time she caught his icy blue eyes on her. As long as they were in the store Damon maintained a respectable distance, but every time she looked up at him she found him looking at her with that little smirk of satisfaction on his lips. It was clear that he wouldn't be waiting too much longer before he cornered her again.

The only thing she wasn't sure of was how she felt about that. There was no denying the attraction between them. A person would have to be blind and deaf not to appreciate his obvious attractions… and even then, with just the sense of touch there would be plenty to recommend him… Elena pushed that thought away, trying to focus on the task of finding a suitable pair of hiking shoes.

If she was being honest with herself, she would have to admit that there had been a connection to Damon that had been growing steadily over the past few months even before Stefan had abandoned her. He'd shown his willingness to risk all for her safety before, and sometimes when he looked at her… she could swear there was more than lust behind his eyes.

What was there to stop her from pursuing something with him now? She didn't owe anything to Stefan anymore, why not take a chance at happiness with Damon?

If only she could be certain that there was something real between them, not just a physical attraction. That he cared more about her than the thrill of the hunt, the chance to possess something that his brother once had. Sure he liked her, but would he lose interest the moment his conquest was made? He'd never confirmed or denied Isobel's assertion that he loved her, even though she knew he'd been within hearing distance at the time. But if he loved her, why hadn't he said so by now?

A mountain of camping gear and supplies piled up on the counter before them despite his warning that they wouldn't be spending all that long out in the woods; including the red string bikini and the men's speedos, she noted without surprise. Damon was the perfect gentleman, holding the doors open for her and loading up the back of the SUV all by himself as she got the air conditioner running inside the stuffy vehicle.

As they got on the road again, Elena took a turn at the wheel on the condition that he had veto power over the music selection.

"I'm not listening to this." Damon shook his head, hitting the scan button for the fifth time.

"What was wrong with that one?" Elena gave a long suffering sigh, they'd been at it for the better part of a half hour and it felt like he was being contrary on purpose.

"Oh please… total chick rock. At least with the music video on there's something to look at but on the radio?" He gave a snort.

"Fine…" Elena grumbled, hitting scan again because the last search had landed on a twangy country station, not exactly her cup of tea. "Okay what about this?" Justin Timberlake was singing about his urge to Rock Your Body his way.

"Boy band?" His tone of voice spoke volumes.

"No, this is a solo album." Elena's head was already bobbing to the beat, toes tapping along.

"Like it matters." Damon muttered, reaching out to hit the scan button again in the same instant that she reached to turn the volume up.

Elena jerked her hand away as his cool hand came into contact with hers, the car jerking a little on the road in response to the rapid movement.

"You seem a little nervous." He smirked.

"Me? No, I'm not nervous, am I being nervous?" She darted a look over at him, a little unnerved to find that predatory gleam in his eyes again.

Damon chuckled, "I'm not gonna jump you right here in the car if that's what you're worried about. Unless you want me to of course." He gave her a wolfish grin.

"If you don't want me to be nervous then stop giving me looks like that." Elena frowned.

"Looks like what?" He asked, the very soul of innocence.

"Like you want to… eat me up or something."

A delighted laugh issued from his throat at her response. "I can't help it, you look so tasty, I just want to take a little nibble." He leaned over and grazed his teeth over her exposed shoulder.

"Damon!" Elena squealed, the car weaving on the road again as she reacted to the feel of that intimate touch, darting another quick look at him.

"Ah, ah, ah Elena, better keep those eyes on the road." He purred, his lips brushing over her smooth skin again.

A delicate shudder went through her at the press of his lips, her knuckles turning stark white at how tightly she was gripping the steering wheel. Still she forced her attention on the road. "Please…" She breathed, not daring to look at him now.

"Alright, no need to beg…" His lips curved into a smile against her flesh, unable to resist his tongue laving out to taste her sweet skin before he pulled away.

The wheel jerked in Elena's hands again at the contact, but this time she overcorrected, taking them too far over onto the shoulder of the road. The tires slid on the loose gravel and dirt and she screamed as she felt the powerful SUV skid out of control, sending them careening down a steep embankment.

Damon reached over to turn the wheel but there was already too much momentum propelling them towards the embankment. The sudden shift of the tires sent the car into a spin and the SUV rolled once, twice…three times before it came to a shuddering stop upside down.

*** back from commercial ***

There were stars behind Damon's eyes as he tried to push through the confusion. A blow to the head had him bleeding from the temple but he could already feel it healing, slowing to a trickle. It was disorienting to be hanging upside down and he hit the seatbelt release, falling awkwardly onto his shoulder before he clued in to the concept of gravity. It felt like one of his ribs was bruised or broken as well, but that was nothing more than a minor nuisance. Good thing vampires were hard to damage, unlike… "Elena!" All at once the urgency of the situation hit him and he scrambled in the tight quarters to get a look at the damage done to her.

She lay half in and half out of the car window, the seatbelt trapping her lower half but she'd slipped part of the way out. Unmoving, she looked like a broken doll, her face ashen. "Elena!" Forcing himself not to panic, he grabbed her wrist and was rewarded with the thud of her heart, though it was disturbingly slow and faint. In a flash he was out of the car, tearing her door from the hinges; he yanked her free of the seatbelt and pulled her from the wreckage.

Cradling her to him, he set her down several feet away in case the damned thing decided to catch fire. "Elena open your eyes. Wake up for me, Angel." He beseeched her, stroking her forehead gently. He hated this feeling of helplessness… what if she didn't wake up? Already he could smell her blood, she had a myriad of small cuts and scrapes and one of her elbows was bent at an odd angle. What if she was bleeding internally? What if he lost her?

Elena's eyes flew open, and instantly he regretted asking her to awaken when he saw the pain reflected there. A low moan left her lips as she turned towards him, still too reeling from the crash and the pain of her injuries to form words.

"Where does it hurt?" He asked her softly.

"Ssss…. Stomach…" She managed to get out, hand moving weakly towards her middle.

Damon lifted the bottom of her shirt, staring in shock and dismay at the growing stain of color spreading through her abdomen. Definitely internal bleeding… Maybe if they called for an ambulance… but how long would they take to get out there in the middle of nowhere? Did she have that long?

"Hhh-hurts…" Tears fell from the corner of her eyes and she started to shiver uncontrollably, shock taking hold of her body.

"I know baby, I know…" A drop of moisture hit Elena's cheek and Damon looked up at the cloudless sky in confusion, it wasn't about to rain… Another fell and he realized that they were his own tears falling upon her face. It had been so long since he'd shed a tear, he scarcely remembered what it felt like, but the tears fell in earnest now as he watched his beloved Elena in so much pain.

Without another moment's hesitation, he brought his wrist up to his mouth, teeth tearing savagely at his own flesh until the blood ran freely. Moving quickly before it had a chance to heal, he brought it to her mouth. "Drink this Elena, it'll make everything all better, I promise."

Elena gave a small murmur of protest as the hot liquid hit her mouth, but she was in too much pain to really understand the repercussions of what he offered her.

For a terrifying moment he thought it might be too late, her heartbeat had started to slow again after the burst of adrenaline that her return to consciousness had provided. But then her throat worked to swallow and he felt the slight pull against his flesh as she drank from him. Damon was far too worried about her to take any pleasure in the act; he just hoped it wasn't too late.

Her color returned almost immediately, skin growing feverish to the touch as her body worked to repair itself. Damon let her drink far more than he'd ever shared with a human, until he started to feel a little lightheaded himself. Only then did he pull his wrist from her lips. This time she made a little sound of protest when he took away the blood and he had to smile down at her blood stained lips, the greedy little thing…

Elena's eyes popped open again, this time they were hazy with something other than pain. "What…" She licked her lips, swallowing. "What happened?"

Damon's wrist was already healing, though slower than usual after having given so much blood. "You crashed the car Evel Kneivel." He chuckled. "I thought I'd lost you there for a moment or two."

"Lost me? But I'm right here…" She murmured, her eyes tracking his face now, confused by the expression she saw there.

"Yeah, lost you for good." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, eyes closed in relief as he heard her heart grow steadier, stronger.

"I feel… strange…"

"I'm not surprised." Damon snorted, pulling back to look at her face. "I had to give you some of my blood to help heal you."

Her eyes flew wider at that. "Does that mean I'm going to turn?"

"No, of course not. Not unless you die with my blood still in your system." He replied soothingly. "But you're not going to die, I won't let you." Damon lifted her shirt, her abdomen was already looking less discolored, the riotous black and purples fading to yellow and reds.

"Hey… quit trying to sneak a peek…" She smiled weakly.

"I've already seen you in much less, remember?" He smirked.

Instead of reacting to that, her brows drew together with a different kind of pain. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" He returned, not understanding the pained expression on her face. Was his blood not enough?

"Sorry I crashed the car, ran us off the road." Elena reached up to touch the dried trickle of blood on his temple.

Damon caught her hand, pressing it against his cheek. "Don't… it's my fault, if I hadn't distracted you… none of this would have happened." His expression grew intense with self recrimination. "It was reckless… and I had no right to gamble with your life like that. Can you ever forgive me?" He beseeched her.

"Me forgive you? You're the one who saved my life." She replied with a soft smile.

_That wouldn't have needed saving in the first place if not for him…_ Instead of going round and round over the point he simply turned into the hand that cupped his cheek, pressing a kiss to the center of her palm. "Don't let it happen again."

*** back from commercial ***

In the end he had decided not to call for an ambulance. Elena was already almost completely healed and the whole thing would be difficult to explain from the stolen SUV down to the fact that he'd taken a minor across state lines; willingly, but she was a minor nonetheless.

In fact, he was in worse shape that she was at the moment, not that he would ever admit it. He'd given her too much of his own blood and needed to replenish his stores in a way that gummy bears and beef jerky just couldn't supply. Only he wasn't willing to leave her side, not when she was still so vulnerable.

The effect of so much vampire blood into her system made Elena very pliable to suggestion which he found less exciting that he would have thought. Overall she was acting like she was kinda drunk. Her thought processes not firing as rapidly as they normally would, and she was easily distracted by the smallest thing. It was expending more energy than he wanted to do to keep her focused and on track on their trek back up to the road.

The SUV had been totaled, even if he could have righted the vehicle again it wouldn't have run with as much damage as it had sustained. That left proceeding on foot. While normally he could have simply gathered Elena up in his arms and sped on to the nearest exit and sign of civilization, he was far too drained to manage anything like that now.

The other option had been to simply pull out the camping supplies they'd purchased and set up camp right there but Damon had wanted to get away from the wreckage and any questions it would bring up as quickly as possible. With any luck he could come back for their belongings after a little liquid refreshment and none would be the wiser; there was no sign from the roadway that a car had ever run off the road.

Now he just had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, doggedly trying to keep up with Elena.

"Oh… I see something up ahead!" Elena called out excitedly, her temporarily enhanced vision allowing her to spot a sign along the side of the road that she would never have been able to see before. She darted ahead at a full run.

"Elena… come back here…" Damon groaned, "Worse than a puppy…" He grumbled, jogging after her.

"It's a mailbox!" She crowed happily, jumping up and down in place. "There's a house down the lane." Elena pointed to the dirt road leading away from the main highway.

"What do you want a medal?" Damon winced, having to stop for a moment to combat the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Don't be such a grouch!" She laughed, his discomfort completely eluding her in her altered state. "Come on! They probably have, you know, a car and food and blood and stuff." Elena was already walking backwards down the dirt road, wiggling her fingers to beckon him to follow.

"Elena, for the love of… slow down! You don't know what's at the end of that road!" He called out after her in disgust.

"Oh come on, we're in the middle of Kansas, these people _live_ to be good Samaritans!" She called back, turning to run down the lane.

Damon watched her go, hands on his hips, conserving his energy for a moment. She was probably right, like as not there was no danger waiting at the end of that road. But if anyone had the ability to find trouble it was Elena. He watched her form get smaller and smaller in the distance. Just as she disappeared from sight, he put on a burst of speed, rapidly catching up with her. They continued in this way with Elena maintaining a constant pace and Damon leapfrogging in short bursts, having to recover in between.

Elena seemed to think it was some kind of a game, trying in earnest to beat him at the race.

He drew the line as the house came into sight though, catching hold of her arm and holding her at his side. "Stay here, we don't know who's in that house."

Opening her mouth to reply, Elena thought better of it after a moment and shut it again, her lower lip puffing out in a bit of a pout.

Even in his depleted state, Damon felt the urge to nibble on that lower lip but he settled for drawing the pad of his thumb over it. "I'm sure it's fine but let me check things out first." Without waiting for her nod of acceptance, he pushed himself forward again, the stairs to the porch giving him a little bit of trouble.

The house itself was an old bungalow style, bigger than a cabin or an apartment, but small for a house. The paint had at one time been white with red trim, but had grayed with age, browner towards the bottom where overgrown shrubs lined the perimeter and a sooty grey at the top near the roof. The steps, painted red to match the trim were scuffed and faded, the paint flaking away at every corner but there was a brightly colored welcome mat in front of the door. Wind chimes made from seashells hung over the door.

Not exactly the Ritz, but someone was making an effort to make the place a home.

Damon paused outside the door, propping himself up against it as he extended his senses inside. "Nobody home." The place had a vacant feel to it, but a look inside showed it was furnished. On a hunch he tried something, smashing a small pane of glass in the front door and reaching inside to disengage the deadbolt. In just a few moments he stepped across the threshold.

"Hey, how'd you do that?" Elena was right behind him the moment he'd broken into the house.

"I don't know… maybe if there's no owner anymore?" But the place looked clean and had up to date furniture and the power was on. "Maybe whatever happened to them was recent?" Damon took another step forward, frowning as he stumbled slightly, his sense of balance definitely off.

"Whoa… Damon? Are you okay?" Elena was instantly at his side, finally cluing in to his weakened state with alarm.

"Peachy keen, jelly bean." Damon gave her a loopy smile right before he passed out, sagging against her.

Elena struggled to keep him from crashing to the ground but only succeeded in slowing the fall; he was too heavy for her with the grip she had on him. She ended up on the ground next to him, his head in her lap. "Damon?" She shook his shoulders. "You'd better not be playing possum on me…" Taking a deep breath, she slapped him across the cheek as hard as she could, but he didn't move a muscle.

"Oh crap…"

**A/N: At least I got them someplace before he keeled over, right? Not a terribly romantic chapter I know, but it's headed that way, I promise. **

**Feedback is love people **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the canon characters. If I did it would be me on the roadtrip with Damon…**

**Some really good guesses as to why he was able to cross the threshold, I almost wish it was that exciting, but nothing so sinister planned.**

"_I don't know… maybe if there's no owner anymore." But the place looked clean and had up to date furniture and the power was on. "Maybe whatever happened to them was recent." Damon took another step forward, frowning as he stumbled slightly, his sense of balance definitely off._

"_Whoa… Damon? Are you okay?" Elena was instantly at his side, finally cluing in to his weakened state with alarm._

"_Peachy keen, jelly bean." Damon gave her a loopy smile right before he passed out, sagging against her._

_Elena struggled to keep him from crashing to the ground but only succeeded in slowing the fall; he was too heavy for her with the grip she had on him. She ended up on the ground next to him, his head in her lap. "Damon?" She shook his shoulders. "You'd better not be playing possum on me…" Taking a deep breath, she slapped him across the cheek as hard as she could, but he didn't move a muscle. _

"_Oh crap…"_

* * *

How exactly did you know what was wrong with an unconscious vampire? They had no pulse, no temperature to take, they didn't breathe…

Elena sat beside Damon checking for any sign of what was wrong with Damon, but for all she could tell, she held a lifeless corpse in her arms. Only he wasn't dead, he couldn't be… didn't vampire sort of… decompose once they met their final death? Even Vicki who hadn't been dead all that long had started to turn all corpsified and gross when she'd been staked. If Damon was really gone for good he would look different instead of just… passed out drunk.

But he wasn't drunk, if anyone felt drunk it was her, and Elena was conscious of the idea that she was finding it more difficult than normal to form coherent thoughts. She need a plan of action… only… what?

They were out in the middle of nowhere, no one to call. She could just see it now:

_911 what is your emergency? _

_Yeah my vampire friend passed out and I can't tell what's wrong with him. _

_Let me connect you to our state mental institution, please hold…) _

But she could do this! First order of business was… "I have to get you to a bedroom." She said out loud, finding comfort in the sound of her own voice. "I'll bet you've been dying to hear me say that." Elena snorted at her own joke, scrambling out from under Damon to loop her hands under his shoulders and drag him deeper into the house. He was heavier than he looked, and she was forced to stop and catch her breath, taking the opportunity to look around for a moment and make sure she was headed in the right direction.

A quick search turned up one master bedroom and one tiny little closet of a room that could be called a bedroom by a stretch of the imagination, a full bathroom between them. There were little bottles of toiletries in the bathroom like one would find in a motel room and there were fresh towels and linens on everything. Someone had even folded the toilet paper end into a little point. Were they in some kind of weird bed and breakfast out in the middle of nowhere?

Damon hadn't moved a muscle by the time she went back to retrieve him, and she hoisted him up again, her face very near his as she continued to drag him backwards to the bedroom. "God you smell good…" She muttered to herself. How had she never noticed that before? He smelled like… like… the words failed to come, but her cheek pressed against his as she tried to place it, inhaling deeply even as she brought him into the bedroom. It took some work to get him up on the bed, but soon enough she had him sprawled on his back, still dead to the world. Elena watched him for a moment, lifting her hair away from her neck as she cooled off from the effort.

"Okay, so now what?" She frowned over his position, he looked uncomfortable. Carefully she set another pillow under him, and arranged his long limbs a little more neatly. As an afterthought she removed his shoes and then his socks because he looked odd to her in sock feet.

Still no response from him, even when she dragged the tip of her fingernail across the bottom of his foot. Was he even ticklish there? Her thoughts flashed back to that night in the motel when they'd fought over the remote… yeah, she bet he was ticklish there alright.

Kicking off her shoes as well, Elena made a more thorough search of the little house, finding that there were no light switches in either bedroom or the living room, in fact there only seemed to be electrical outlets in the kitchen and the bathroom. There was no TV and no sign of anything resembling a computer or a phone. On the kitchen table she found a brightly colored flyer that answered one question at least.

_Welcome to the Kerwood Lake House_

_Please help yourselves to any of the amenities on the property, you are our treasured guests. Unfortunately the boat house is closed for repairs for the duration of the season. There is a rowboat available in the shed for your enjoyment, we apologize for the inconvenience. Be sure to check out the historic covered bridge and the scenic vistas from Bell Point._

_We hope you enjoy your stay!_

So they were at a vacation rental of sorts… in Kansas? Elena supposed that explained why Damon was able to cross the threshold, the same way he could at the motel, the place was open to the public. Of course the owners wouldn't appreciate the broken pane of glass in the front door, and the fact that they had some unscheduled squatters, but hopefully they'd be long gone by then.

Returning to check on Damon, she wet a washcloth with cool water in the bathroom and sat beside him on the bed to gently wash the dried blood from his temple. He looked so still… making no sign that he was aware of her presence at all. What if he didn't wake up?

He'd been so good to her. The waggling eyebrows and ludicrous come-ons aside, Damon had really gone through quite an effort to shake her out of her depression and she really hadn't stopped to thank him for it. Elena drew the damp washcloth down the contours of his face. Out cold like this he lost some of that brash charm and looked almost… vulnerable.

On an impulse she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his gently, disappointment flooding through her when there was no reaction from him. "What was I expecting?" She sighed, brushing her thumb across his lower lip. "I'm no Prince Charming and you're not Sleeping Beauty." It was a stupid idea anyway…

"The least I can do is make you a bit more comfortable." Elena continued to talk to him. "I'm betting you'd like your jacket off, right?" Of course that was easier said than done but eventually she managed to wrangle him out of it. As a belated thought she decided to tug his shirt free from his jeans as well.

"Are you gonna buy me dinner first?" Damon smirked, his eyes still closed.

"Damon!" Elena exclaimed, heart slamming in her chest with a rush of excitement as he opened his eyes. "Thank god, are you okay? What happened to you?" Not sure whether to hug him or give him some space, she settled for laying her hand on his cheek as she looked into his face for any sign of how bad off he was.

"You tell me… where are we?" He asked drowsily, capturing her hand with surprising strength and bringing it to his lips to press a gentle kiss to the inside of her wrist.

"Don't you remember?" Elena was aghast, this was worse than she thought.

"There was a crash… saved you… sleepy." His voice was starting to fade already.

Elena grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him lightly. "Damon! Don't you dare leave me…"

"Nice to know you care." He smiled faintly before his mouth went slack again.

"Damon!" This time there was no response and Elena got up to pace back and forth beside the bed, her eyes never leaving his still form. "What am I supposed to do?" She asked the silent room.

The light was starting to fade, casting the bedroom into long shadows. Elena found matches next to a conveniently placed hurricane lamp on the bedside table and lit the lamp, staring down at his profile bathed in the flickering light. Deep down she knew what she had to do… but the idea scared her to death.

Things had never been right between her and Stefan again after she'd fed him her blood; what if things got weird between them too? Elena wasn't sure she could stand losing another person, especially not Damon. What if he didn't stop? What if he lost control in his weakened state and drained her dry?

Taking a deep breath Elena left him there to gather some supplies, returning with everything she thought she'd need in a large mixing bowl. Gingerly she sat down beside him on the bed, brushing back the hair from his forehead. "Damon, can you hear me?" There was no response to her question. "Oh sure now you decide to keep a lid on it… I need you to open your mouth, can you do that for me? She was already reaching for the hunting knife, holding it to her wrist. Only she hadn't ever done this before, what if she cut too deep?

In the end she made a shallow cut, she could always cut deeper if it didn't bleed enough. "Damon?" She held her wrist up to his lips, pleased to see his nostrils flare as he caught scent of the blood. Suddenly his mouth clamped down around the wound, fangs descending. Elena bit her lips together against the pain that welled or arose from the bite but she couldn't stop the slight whimper of pain that escaped her.

*** back from commercial***

Damon's eyes flew open at that soft sound, and he pushed her arm away, licking his lips. "What are you doing?"

Elena caught up the kitchen towel from the bowl and pressed it to the wound at her wrist. "You passed out… I thought you needed it."

Struggling to puzzle through the situation at hand, he had enough presence of mind to realize that whatever had happened he'd been hurting her. Damon shook his head. "No…" As many times as he'd dreamed of tasting her blood, he hadn't wanted it like this.

"Damon you need it." Elena pulled the towel away, offering her wrist again.

"Not that bad I don't." With a supreme effort he pushed her arm away, his eyes fixating on the blood that welled there, sluggish but wet and fresh, beckoning to him as the sweetest elixir imaginable.

"Don't be stupid, you've been out cold for more than an hour."

"I won't hurt you." He replied with more confidence than he felt. It was that fear of hurting her that gave him the strength to turn down the bounty offered.

"I don't want to see you hurt either. You're as weak as a kitten." Elena stubbornly held her wrist out.

"Am not." Damon frowned, bothered beyond belief at being called weak as a kitten.

A roll of the eyes was given, "Oh please, I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back…"

With a surge he pressed her back against the bed, looming over her. "Never underestimate the strength of a hungry vampire." His eyes glittered dangerously, fangs extended.

Elena gasped at the sudden shift, her eyes flying wide but she made no move to get away from him, there was trust shining back in her eyes. "It's okay to ask for help." She said gently.

Damon sagged against her, tired from the exertion, he rolled onto his back, releasing her. "Just… let me rest, we'll figure something out." Maybe he could hunt, get enough strength to get back on his feet…

"Do you seriously think that resting is going to help you?" Elena rolled on her side after him, looking down at him earnestly.

_No._ "It might." He gave a half shrug. It was more like wishful thinking.

"Just take a _little_ more, it's the least I can do after what you did for me." She replied in a reasonable tone, as though they were discussing her lending him a DVD or something innocuous.

Damon stared back at her for a long moment before a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. She was so damned determined… how could he resist her? "Alright, but if we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right."

"I was doing it the wrong way?" Elena frowned.

"It was hurting you, wasn't it?" He pointed out, rolling onto his side to face her, stifling a groan at the effort it cost him.

"Well yeah but… I mean you were biting me, sucking my blood… I pretty much figured it was gonna hurt."

Damon shook his head, "It doesn't have to, remember? But you have to trust me and I have to admit, my control is a little off right now."

"What do you mean trust you?"

"I need you to take off your necklace."

Her hand flew to the vervain filled necklace that hung around her neck even though Stefan was long gone. "Why?" She asked, a note of skepticism to her voice. "Are you gonna compel me?"

"It's not compelling exactly, but it does involve my evoking certain… feelings in you. I don't know if you can still experience that with the vervain on you."

"I don't want you doing what you did to that waitress to me." Elena objected.

Damon pressed his lips together in frustration tinged with amusement. "It won't be like that, I promise."

"What will it be like then?" She asked a little breathlessly.

"Elena I want to do it this way because I don't want you to suffer. I can take away any pain you might feel because of me, won't you let me do that for you?"

Dark eyes looming large in her face, Elena gave a single nod, her hands going up to the clasp at her neck. The necklace was set down on the bedside table and she turned back to face him. "I'm ready." She said after a deep, calming breath.

"Close your eyes." He instructed her, his voice soft as silk.

*** back from commercial***

Elena did as he bid her, eyes fluttering shut. Nerves strung tight as a drum, she lay there waiting for him to do whatever it was he was going to do to her.

A chuckle left his lips, "Shhh, relax Elena, you have nothing to be worried about."

The bed creaked a little and she felt his lips up near her temple, pressing a soft kiss to her face. "I know…" She whispered, waiting with bated breath to see what he did next.

Damon blazed a trail of kisses down the smooth column of her throat to lave his tongue over her pulse, once… twice… his cool breath fanning over the moist skin there.

Elena stiffened, expecting to feel the sting of his teeth at her neck but he continued with his leisurely exploration of her skin, nipping gently at her collar bone, placing open mouthed kisses along her shoulder, dragging his lips down the delicate inside of her arm. At the same time his hand was stroking the bare flesh of her back, having slid up underneath her shirt. She found her breath hitching with each touch of his tongue, anticipating pleasure now, not pain.

By the time he got to her wrist she had forgotten all about the wound there and the lap of his tongue on the damaged skin brought only a stroke of soothing coolness. The next thing she knew, his mouth had closed over the wound, but there was no pain; only a flicker of pleasure, making her gasp in surprise. With each pull at her wrist, the pleasure intensified from a flicker to a burn that went all the way to her toes.

Elena reached out instinctively, hands smoothing over his broad expanse of chest, seeking more contact with him. Her heart was pumping like mad, her body straining for something she couldn't identify. "Damon please…" She breathed, not knowing exactly what it was she asked for.

All at once the pull at her wrist ceased and Elena's eyes flew open to see Damon licking his lips, the hand towel pressed against her arm again. "Why did you stop?" She asked, her voice unsteady.

"Because that was enough. Thank you, I feel stronger already." Damon kissed the center of her palm.

"Oh." Disappointment flooded through her but she wasn't sure why. Had she wanted him to drain her dry? She let out a long breath, trying to cool down.

"Didn't you want me to stop?" Damon chuckled, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"I… I don't know, I…" Her body was clamoring for something, that was for sure.

"You wanted to give me everything you had didn't you? Body and soul?"

"Something like that." She gave him a sheepish grin. Body and soul seemed to cover it fairly well.

"I told you it could be pleasurable. And that wasn't even the best of it, that was just feeding."

"There's more?" God she wasn't sure she could take more… at the same time she craved it.

"Much more." He chuckled, his eyes flashing.

There he went doing that eye thing again… Elena swallowed. "Okay…"

"Okay what?"

"Okay then, show me more." Elena replied, her voice husky with need.

Damon stared back at her, a different kind of hunger in his eyes, but after a moment he pulled away. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Elena blinked, he was turning her down? "I thought that was what you wanted?"

"I did… I do." He insisted. "But I want you to make that decision with a clear head, and I want to be able to do you justice when we get there."

"You said you didn't compel me." Elena's brow crumpled with confusion.

"And I didn't. But regardless you're still in the throes of what we just shared and call me old fashioned, but I don't want you to have any regrets."

She couldn't imagine having any regrets but could understand that she might be a little muddled at the moment, her body still felt like it was operating at five degrees over normal at least. "If you're sure…" She said dubiously.

"I'm not, but I'm trying to be." Damon smiled softly. "For now why don't we get some rest? See how things look in the morning?"

"You really are feeling better though? My blood did the trick?"

"You have no idea." He assured her, lying back against the pillow with a contented sigh. "I'm not ready to run any marathons, but I'll be able to hunt on my own soon enough. Ugh… there's probably nothing around here but squirrels and bunnies." He frowned at the thought.

Elena couldn't help but giggle over his expression. "It won't kill you to go the vegetarian route for a couple of days." She smiled, turning down the bedside lamp and settling down in the bed next to him. There was no hesitation, she snuggled up to his side, wrapping her arm around his middle.

Damon's arm wrapped around her instinctively, drawing her close as if they'd done this a zillion times. "Easy for you to say, have you ever drunk a squirrel? I didn't think so." He sighed, eyes sliding shut.

"Damon?" She asked sleepily, feeling pleasantly warm and drowsy now.

"Mmm?"

"I hope morning comes soon."

"Why is that, Angel?" He asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I have a feeling I'm gonna like _more_."

**A/N: What do you guys think? A natural progression? Weird and icky? I figure there's gotta be a reason so many people swoon with pleasure while being fed on, so why not make it a good thing?**

**Feedback is love people **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the canon characters. If I did it would be me on the roadtrip with Damon…**

*** Please note - definitely some adult content in this one, should be rated for mature readers only.**

**As promised… more. Much more…**

"_Damon?" She asked sleepily, feeling pleasantly warm and drowsy now._

"_Mmm?" _

"_I hope morning comes soon."_

"_Why is that, Angel?" He asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head._

"_I have a feeling I'm gonna like more."_

* * *

_She was running, adrenaline giving her the edge she needed to push faster, limbs pumping; coursing with power as they propelled her through the woods. Over a fallen tree she leapt, soaring several feet in the air before she landed light as a cat on the other side. There was nary a pause before she sprang off again, the scent of her prey spurring her forward as the hunger grew within her. _

_The stag came into sight then and she poured on an extra burst of speed. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she could easily outdistance the animal, but for the moment she was too caught up in the thrill of the hunt to press the unfair advantage. Instead she let the hunger build until it consumed her and she pounced, fangs descending to rend and tear. There was no disgust or remorse, only the triumph of the kill, and the blissful frenzy as she felt the deer's life force join hers, making her strong again. _

*** whoosh, whoosh, whoosh ***

Elena woke with a start, the vivid clarity of the dream throwing her into a momentary disorientation as she sat up in the darkened bedroom. Her hand slid out expecting to find Damon's comforting weight beside her, but as she met only the cool sheets. "Damon?" Her voice came out as little more than a whisper, where could he have gotten to? It wasn't as though he had to get up and use the facilities.

The thought occurred to her that in the short time they'd been on their little journey she'd grown accustomed to having him there at her side, almost underfoot whether she wanted him there or not.

"Damon?" Elena slipped out of bed, padding barefoot into the living room to seek him out. What if something had happened to him? He could be out somewhere hurt or passed out and she might never find him. He could be… standing right in the kitchen, dabbing at his face almost daintily with a kitchen towel. "Hey… where have you been?"

Damon spun around, an almost guilty look splashing across his features before he replaced them with an easy grin. "I was just… out for a bit. How long have you been awake?" He asked, tossing the towel aside.

"Were you just out hunting?" Elena asked, moving into the kitchen and stopping right before him, her eyes sliding shut as she inhaled deeply, operating on instinct. He smelled of loamy earth and dead leaves from where he'd crouched on the ground beside the deer, and the bright copper tones of the animal's blood itself. "Deer, you were hunting deer." She murmured. With a shudder she realized that her mouth had started to water and took a step backwards, her eyes popping open.

Damon's head canted to one side as she approached him, studying her closely. "Ah… yeah, I was hunting a deer… how did you…?"

"I saw… or maybe it was a dream but… I think I felt you hunting the deer." She replied, knowing it sounded insane even as the words came out of her mouth. Expecting to see his lips quirk into that familiar smirk and the sting of the quip that would soon follow she wasn't prepared to see his eyes widen in surprise.

"You felt that?"

"I…maybe, I think so." Elena nodded. In halting words as she tried to capture what it was she'd experienced she told him about the dream with as much detail as she could recall. "Was that what you were feeling too?" The look on his face told her that it was. "How is that even possible?"

Damon tried for a careless shrug but it fell short as he studied her intently. "We are connected in a way now that we weren't before."

"Because you drank from me?" She blinked.

"That's part of it."

Her mind was churning at the revelation, could he feel her too or was it just one sided? "But why didn't this happen between Stefan and me before? He drank my blood."

"Because you hadn't had any of his blood in return. I gave you quite a bit of my blood after the car crash, hence the reason I passed out in the first place." A wince was given at that last, as if he didn't like to be reminded of that sign of weakness.

Elena nodded slowly, still processing. "How long will it last?" Or were they linked permanently?

"I don't really know." Damon replied, again looking like he wasn't all too thrilled at the admission.

"Why not?" Or did he just not want to tell her?

Damon pushed away from the kitchen counter, moving back towards the bedroom. "Because this isn't something I have much experience with." He called over his shoulder to her.

Elena followed after him, not sure if his words rang completely true. Why wouldn't he have had much experience with it if he'd been feeding from humans for over a hundred years? "You said you've done this before, that it can be very pleasurable…"

"Yeah, I've given pleasure in exchange for blood, I haven't shared mine with a human like that before." He replied, stripping off his t-shirt and flinging it carelessly aside.

It was dark in the bedroom but thanks to her slightly enhanced vision and the nature of his pale skin she could still see him fairly clearly in the ambient light as he stripped off his jeans and slid into the bed. "Why not?" She pared down to a t-shirt and panties and lay down beside him.

Damon ignored the question for the moment, tugging the covers high. "You should get some rest, tomorrow's gonna be a long day getting back on track without the car.

"Why not?" She pressed.

"I haven't wanted to share something so… intimate with anyone before." His voice sounded strange to her ears when he replied.

"But you said it _is_ pleasurable when someone else drinks your blood too? Is it like what you made me feel?" Probably more info than was good for her to know but she couldn't help but ask it. Besides, he had been on both sides of the coin before.

"Very." He said shortly. "But that's not the sort of thing most girls get into."

"But you could compel them to."

"That's true."

"But you haven't?"

"What is this, twenty questions? I said I just didn't want to go there with anybody, end of story."

He sounded a bit annoyed and Elena struggled to figure out why he had a problem sharing this part of himself with her? Was it because he didn't want her to see him as a predator? Or did he just not like anyone having direct access to the feelings underneath his façade? "Can you feel what I'm feeling too?" The words came out as the barest of whispers in the dark.

Damon shifted, rolling over to face her. "I don't know… maybe we should explore this a little?" His lips curved into a grin, once again on familiar territory.

"Alright." Elena replied, perhaps surprising them both a little with her boldness. "Tell me what I'm feeling… right… now…" She murmured, closing the distance between them, her lips brushed lightly over his, punctuating each of the last words she uttered.

*** back from commercial ***

Instead of wasting time with words, Damon chose to _show_ her; convinced it was the same hunger that rose sharply within him at the touch of her lips. Finally she was his, warm and willing in his arms and he never wanted to let her go.

Her lips parted to accept him, tongue tangling with his as he explored the dark recesses of her mouth. It was tempting to give in to the need to bury himself in her soft welcoming warmth, to finally possess her, but Damon wanted this to be a memorable night for the both of them.

The connection between them heightening his already sharp senses, Damon let her body tell him with gasps and sighs and the beat of her heart where she liked to be touched and kissed, slowly learning what gave her the most pleasure. He laid worship to her, telling her with his clever hands and mouth what he couldn't seem to with words.

In response she pressed herself along the length of his body as she returned his kisses, hands fisting in the cool sheets as he drove her crazy with need. For the moment there was no thought of consequences or what the future might bring; she only knew in that moment that if he stopped now, she would surely die of want.

Their touches grew more insistent, kisses hungry as the last of their clothing was discarded, nothing between them now but the feel of his cool skin against her fevered flesh. Her own hands were continuing their exploration of him, sliding over his smooth, taut body, subtly urging him to take a position above her.

Damon followed her lead, as she shifted to her back he moved with her, positioning himself above her. In the faint glow of the moonlight he could easily make out her face, the desire in her eyes mirroring what he felt. "Tell me to stop now Elena, or so help me I won't be able to hold back for much longer." His voice was raspy with tightly controlled need.

"I want it too, I want to belong to you body and soul." Elena whispered back, hands skimming over his cool flesh, begging him with every way she could think of to take her now.

Not needing to be told twice, Damon buried himself deep within her, gasping at the intimacy of the act. This far surpassed anything he could have imagined in his most fevered dreams, and it took him a long moment to recover his wits enough to move.

The breath left her body in a silent rush at that welcome invasion and her head fell back against the pillow with pleasure of it. Little gasps and sighs escaped her in the face of such a perfect union.

It had been far too long since he'd been with a woman like this. Oh he'd had his share of women over the years but those hurried couplings had been nothing compared to this expression of their love, sharpened by long weeks of waiting and wanting.

Elena was rapidly losing control over her responses, her breath coming faster, till he pushed her over the edge and she forgot to breathe altogether, teeth scraping against his shoulder as she bit back a cry of pleasure.

The feel of her tightening around him and the sting at his shoulder were enough to send him tumbling into the abyss after her, and he gave a low guttural cry of satisfaction. For long moments he kept her pinned beneath him, trying not to crush her with his weight as he tried to recover from the soul shattering experience.

Elena cradled him to her wildly beating heart as she all but trembled beneath him. "Definitely… what I was feeling…" She breathed, already slipping into a deliciously peaceful sleep.

Tenderly he touched her brow, their shared love overwhelming him till with a pang he realized; he had so much to lose now...

*** back from commercial ***

Damon woke slowly the next morning with Elena snuggled close up against him, their legs entwined. By his reckoning it was way past time for them to get up, but he wasn't eager to part with her and begin their day just yet. The night before had been incredible; as good as he'd expected it would be with her if not better... Curling his arms back around her, he reached up and gently started to stroke her hair.

It took a few moments for Elena to stir even though she was normally an early riser. As she came around, she stretched against him, her arms curling around him tighter as she realized he was awake. "Mornin'." She murmured, tilting her head up to look at him, not even thinking about what a mess she must look like at the moment.

"Mornin'." He said with a warm smile, this time leaning down to give her a tender kiss on the lips. "You must be worn out. You can probably sleep just a little bit longer if you like." He reached over to brush some of the hair from her face; he loved it like this, looking so natural and free, just a little wild.

"Mmmm, I feel too good to waste it on sleep now, I'll sleep in the car… oh hmm, no car." She frowned, but she was in too good of a mood to be all that worried about it.

Damon felt something uncoil within him that he hadn't realized was clenched and he realized that he'd half expected to wake up to find her having regrets about the night before. "I hope I didn't keep you up too much last night." He said between kisses as his hand started to caress her back lightly. Then after a moment he gave her a wide smile. "No, that's a lie. The lost sleep was worth it."

"Definitely worth it." She sighed happily, propping her head up a bit so she could see him better. Her own hands roamed over his body freely, a lazy exploration with no goal in mind.

"You know… there's nothing that says we have to push on today. I have to say, this place is kinda growing on me a little bit." He looked around the room.

"Stay here?" She considered it.

"Just for a day or two, or until someone calls the cops on us." Damon stole another kiss.

"Why not?" Elena smiled broadly. "It's not like we're in any kind of rush are we? I mean nobody's expecting me home any time soon, is there anything you need to get back for?"

To be honest he was having trouble focusing on her questions with her lying next to him in bed, looking so pleasantly sated and the pride swelled within him as he realized that he'd put that look on her face. "I'm all yours." Damon pressed a kiss to her hair, breathing in her scent that was so pure and sweet.

"That doesn't mean I want to spend the whole day in bed though." The corner of her mouth tugged up into a smile. "Not all of us feasted on venison last night, I'm starving."

"Venison…" He stared at her blankly before remembering the deer. "Right. Well, don't move a muscle then." Unconcerned with his nudity, Damon slipped from the bed, negligently tugging on his jeans more out of habit than anything else. "Breakfast of champions coming up." He grinned.

Elena watched him with undisguised interest, finally comfortable enough to look her fill. "Wow, breakfast in bed… I may swoon." She giggled.

"Yeah well don't get used to it, I must be in a good mood for some reason." He gave a comical roll of the eyes and bent down for one last kiss before he slipped out to find something to cook her for breakfast.

Elena clutched the covers a little higher and watched him go. "Yeah, me too." She smiled, remaining snuggled warm in bed.

**A/N: Thoughts? Comments? Emotional outbursts? Too soon? Just right?**

**Ok calling out to all you readers for a bit of help. I am deep in the planning process for book #3 and I've decided to try something new. I've never attempted writing from the 1****st**** person perspective, but I'm thinking the new idea is particularly well suited for it. So in order to try it out, I'll be writing a new Vampire Diaries fanfic set from Elena's POV in the first person. I would love to get the opinion of people following my regular writing style to see if it works, or falls flat. **

**Be on the lookout for the new fic, it will be completely AU back to the beginning of season one, something totally new. The premise is this: What if just as Elena realizes that Stefan and Damon are vampires she bolts and there is a tragic accident? As she lies dying in Stefan's arms, he can't bring himself to save her for fear of damning her for all eternity to the same curse that he struggles with. Damon, unburdened by the same concerns, snatches Elena from his arms and turns her. Elena wakes to a whole new world as a vampire. How will she react to her new un-life? Will she become just like Katherine? How will this change her feelings for Stefan? And now that she shares this new connection with Damon as her maker, will they grow closer? Will Damon just use her as a pawn in his personal war against Stefan? Or will he let her into his heart?**

**It will be called "**_**Wake Me When the Sun Goes Down**_**", so please keep an eye out and review if you can.**

**Feedback is love people **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or I wouldn't be killing time from work daydreaming on paper about Damon…**

**Thanks for the nice reviews and to everyone who followed me over to the new fic, you guys are awesome! **

_Elena watched him with undisguised interest, finally comfortable enough to look her fill. "Wow, breakfast in bed… I may swoon." She giggled._

"_Yeah well don't get used to it, I must be in a good mood for some reason." He gave a comical roll of the eyes and bent down for one last kiss before he slipped out to find something to cook her for breakfast. _

_Elena clutched the covers a little higher and watched him go. "Yeah, me too." She smiled, remaining snuggled warm in bed._

* * *

Breakfast consumed, freshly showered (after using up the house's entire hot water supply in the shower together that had proven steamy enough of its own accord to endure the cooling water temperature), Damon had gone off in search of the car to see what was salvageable of their meager possessions.

Elena had remained behind, puttering around the kitchen, looking through the cupboards to see how they were fixed for supplies or how soon they'd have to move on. The kitchen was stocked well enough with some of the basic non-perishable items, but there wasn't much in the way of fresh food at all, as to be expected. A short walk outside had revealed a spectacular view of the lake, a short pier leading to the boat house that looked like it had seen better days, and tons of peace and quiet for as far as the eye could see. Elena couldn't see any signs of another house along the tree lined lake, or perhaps they were set back a little farther from the water? For all intents and purposes, they had the lake all to themselves.

Venturing back inside, she busied herself looking through the closets and drawers in the bedroom in search of spare clothes in case Damon didn't have any luck with their luggage. Unfortunately they seemed to be empty save for some extra blankets and a change of bed linens.

A small metal ring set into the wood floor at the end of the hallway caught her attention, and she gave it an experimental tug. A large hatch opened up, revealing stairs that led into the dark basement, with no sign of a light fixture near the opening. Curiosity getting the better of her, she retrieved the hurricane lamp from the bedside table and descended down the creaky stairs into the cramped space below.

The ceiling was low, Damon would have had trouble walking upright, but Elena had no trouble once she reached the bottom of the stairs. There were no windows, or any kind of outside light save what came in through the hatch, and she had a troubling thought… what if this was some kind of a crypt? What might she be disturbing in her exploration?

It was enough to make her pause, but in the end curiosity won out and she chastised herself for having such an overactive imagination. What were the odds that she'd find something scarier than Damon in a vacation house in the middle of Kansas? Still, as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she found herself searching avidly for any sign of danger just in case. Apart from choking to death over dust, she seemed safe enough; the basement seemed to be used primarily for storage. There were a series of boxes marked for different holidays, camping equipment, art supplies, all manner of mundane things that were vaguely interesting but not overly so. At the end of the room in the darkest corner was a large trunk, big enough to hold a body, and Elena approached it hesitantly, unsure if she should open it or not.

"Stop being such a scaredy cat…" She muttered to herself, setting down the lamp and kneeling before the trunk. The lid was stubborn, but not locked, and swung open after a bit of a shove, revealing… clothes. Lots and lots of them. Nothing so interesting as turn of the century or older but clothes from the seventies from the looks of it. Bright colored halter tops, leather vests with lots of fringe, suede pants and more. Giggling to herself as she pulled out one ridiculous article of clothing after another, she tried to imagine herself wearing the garish outfits, or even better… Damon in them.

It took her four trips to get the clothes upstairs and onto the bed where she sorted them first by sex and then by size. When she was done, she had a few outfits to try on and a pile of things for Damon to look through as well. She was just about to try on a pair of purple suede hotpants when she felt Damon approaching the house. A smile lit her face as she wondered just how long that little bonus would last. Would she always be able to feel Damon when he was near? Or would it fade without another exchange of blood?

"Honey, I'm home!" Damon called out, kicking the front door shut behind him, his arms laden with bags, both of the grocery and luggage variety.

"Looks like you've been busy." Elena replied, coming out to take one of the bags that was balanced on top.

"Yeah well someone had to look out for us, I couldn't stomach another meal of canned supplies."

"It's not like you need to eat anyway." She pointed out, setting down the bag and looking inside with interest. The bag she had was filled to the brim with junk food, cookies, twinkies, three different kinds of chips… "If I eat this stuff I'm not gonna fit out the front door when it's time to leave." Elena muttered, stocking the cupboard.

"Just because I don't need to eat doesn't mean I don't like to." Damon retorted. "Besides, that stuff's for me, I got you some healthy junk, salad stuff, real rabbit food."

A further look revealed he'd also gotten the makings of an Italian meal including fresh garlic bread and spicy sausage for the sauce. "Mmm, this is making me hungry already." It had been a long time since breakfast.

Damon came up from behind, wrapping his arms around her. "Mmm it sure is…" He murmured into her neck, leaning down to taste her skin.

Her head lolled to one side, giving him better access, a smile on her lips as he nibbled playfully on her neck and shoulder. "You didn't ask me what I've been doing to keep myself busy." Elena commented, starting to lose focus on her train of thought.

"Hmm?" Thoroughly distracted himself, Damon didn't reply further, instead he busied himself with the slow exploration of her curves.

A little uncomfortable with the idea of taking this too much farther in the middle of the kitchen in broad daylight, Elena covered his hands with hers, staying those questing fingers. "Aren't you going to ask me what I've been up to?"

A long suffering sigh was given. "What have you been up to Elena?" He replied, a faint trace of amusement to his voice.

"I went exploring in the basement." Elena replied, turning around in his arms to face him.

"Ooh, call out the parade…" Damon's tone was sarcastic and his eyes flashed teasingly.

Elena punched him in the shoulder, "Stop being such a jerk and listen." She laughed. "I found some interesting things. Including… some vintage clothes I thought we might try on. I wasn't sure if you'd be able to recover our luggage or not."

"Well lucky for us I did, so we can skip the dress up." He returned sourly.

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Elena protested, holding onto the front of his shirt. "Doesn't it sound like fun?"

"My sense of adventure doesn't include a fashion show. I am not some giant Barbie doll for you to dress for your own amusement." Damon's tone was dry.

"Oh come on, not even for me? I'll try on stuff for you, you'll try on stuff for me…" She tried to cajole him, sensing he was teetering on caving.

"Will you try on lingerie for me?" He grinned wolfishly.

Naturally that's where his interests would lie… "Sadly there was no lingerie in the trunk to be found." She shook her head in mock seriousness.

"The next time we're at a mall then?" He insisted.

Elena blushed to the tips of her ears. "Alright, I promise, I will try on lingerie for you, the next time it's… convenient."

"Deal." Damon grinned with satisfaction. "Okay, let's get this over with." He capitulated, releasing her but catching hold of her hand. "Where is this treasure trove of ready to wear?"

Tugging at his hand, she lead him towards the bedroom. "I've got everything all laid out on the bed."

"Pity." Damon murmured once they were in sight of the bed.

Picking up an armload of clothes, Elena disappeared into the bathroom while Damon stripped down in the bedroom, unconcerned if she was still in there or not.

Elena emerged a few minutes later wearing a white sundress with little yellow daisies emblazoned all over it, her own sunglasses pushed up on top of her head. She thought it looked sweet and a little kitschy but still cute. But before she could ask what he thought of it, her mouth dropped as she caught sight of his getup.

Sporting brown corduroy pants, a dark blue shirt with huge lapels, and a brown leather vest complete with beaded fringe that clicked together noisily when he moved, he struck a pose for her. "What do you think?"

"You look like Greg Brady." She giggled.

"Yeah well Marcia never looked so good." He shrugged off her response, more interested in her outfit.

"You have to change, I can't look at you with a straight face in that shirt." Elena continued to giggle uncontrollably.

"I used to have a shirt just like this." He frowned, tugging at the cuffs.

"I thought we might go for a walk, aren't there any shorts or something more weather appropriate? She pointed to her sundress. "Oh… I thought I saw some Bermuda shorts…"

"I think I'll stick to my own clothes thank you very much." Damon was already peeling off the vest.

"Spoil sport…" Elena stuck her tongue out at him as she moved into the kitchen to make them some sandwiches for their walk.

"High maintenance…" Damon gave a roll of the eyes. He joined her in the kitchen a few minutes later, wearing a white T-shirt with the arms rolled up, classic levis, and his hair slicked back. "If we're paying homage to a past era I'd rather pick one that I enjoyed."

Elena gave a low whistle, admiring the overall effect. "You liked the fifties?"

"Oh yeah, rebel without a cause? Chicks dig the troubled loner." He smirked.

"I so don't want to hear about your stories with the bobby soxers…" She muttered with a shake of the head.

"Come on let's go for that walk." Damon grinned, shouldering the pack she'd put together.

*** Back from commercial ***

Once outside, Elena spotted the car in the driveway, a sleek black sedan she'd never seen before. "Where did that come from?"

"Japan I think, or is it Korea? I can't tell anymore…" Damon shrugged carelessly.

"No, I mean how did you get it?" She pressed, taking a closer look.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it." He tugged her away from the car towards the path that led to the lake.

"Damon is that a stolen car?" Her brows climbed a mile.

Damon laughed, wondering what she'd do if she knew the car they'd been driving in that whole time had been stolen? "Relax, I rented it." Nevermind that he'd rented it with a stolen credit card, how they sorted it all out in the end was not his problem.

"Oh." She eased. "It's nice."

"I thought you'd like it. Let's take that walk." Threading his fingers through hers, he drew her closer, relishing the ability to just reach out and touch her whenever he wanted to. Idly he wondered if she realized just how far she'd come in the past few days? No longer mopey and depressed, she'd laughed more in the last days with him than she had in the past month. Just as it should be. Feeling light hearted he picked her up and swung her around, enjoying the sound of her delighted laughter as he spun her in his arms.

"You're in a good mood." She grinned as he set her back on her feet.

"Heaven forfend!" He returned with mock horror, his eyes widening. "Why shouldn't I be happy? I'm with my girl, the birds are singing, the sun is shining, we've got Twinkies in the backpack, what else is there in life?" Damon grinned.

Elena laughed at that. "I guess I never thought about it in those terms before. Now that you mention it, things are pretty great aren't they?" She agreed. "Of course you left off one thing… Twinkies won't hold you indefinitely." She pointed out.

"True… but if I'm feeling peckish I can always give you a little nibble." He leaned down to nip at her neck.

Giving a little squeak, Elena pulled away, running but tossing an inviting look over her shoulder, urging him to follow.

All too happy to oblige, Damon ran after her, keeping to strictly human speeds or there would be no point in giving chase. Still he caught up with her easily, scooping her up in his arms, he covered her mouth with his, the low growl emanating from his throat having to do with a different kind of hunger.

Elena returned his kiss, arms wending their way around his shoulders to rest comfortably. "What happened to that walk?" She asked when they finally paused so she could catch her breath.

"I vote for another kind of exercise." Damon smirked, capturing her lips again for another taste. This time he shifted her body until she was pressed against the length of him, his arms holding her close.

"Out here, in the open?" Elena breathed.

"Sure, why not? There's no one around for miles Elena, trust me."

"Yeah but…"

With a groan Damon pressed his forehead to hers, willing his body back under his control again, not wanting to pressure her for too much, too fast. The night before had been… magical, but he could see she was still getting used to their physical relationship.

"Alright, how about a swim then?" He asked, letting go of her, he pulled his t-shirt up and over his head, messing up his carefully coiffed hair in the process.

"I didn't bring my bathing suit with me." Elena objected, her eyes on him as he stripped down, unburdened with modesty.

"I told you, there's nobody else out here." Damon insisted, tossing his clothes into an untidy pile and diving into the water. It was a bit chilly, but it felt nice on the hot summer day. "Come on, the water's fine!" He called out, watching her on the shore.

Elena moved closer to the water's edge, easing off her shoes and tossing them up by Damon's clothes. "Turn around!" She called out.

"Oh come on Elena, I'm 165 years old, I've seen girl parts before." Damon snorted. Not to mention he'd seen all of her the night before. It might have been dark, but with his night vision, he'd seen ALL of her. And then there had been the shower that morning… it was safe to say he was very familiar with her feminine curves by now. Still, he turned his back with a long suffering sigh, ever the gentleman.

One eye on his back, Elena shimmied out of her clothes as quickly as she could and dove in to join him, giving a shout of surprise as the cool water hit her warm shoulders. "It's COLD! You said it was nice!" She accused him.

"Yeah, I think it's nice." He grinned, swimming closer before he disappeared under the water.

Elena looked around, watching for where he would surface next. It was several long minutes before he popped up right next to her with a splash. "Don't do that!" She chastised him, splashing water at his face.

Damon grinned at having surprised her, just as he'd intended to. It was handy not having to breathe sometimes… "Don't start something you can't finish." He cautioned her, splashing her back.

"Don't tell me what I can't finish." Elena retorted, sending another gout of water in his direction.

"Oh you're dead…" Damon gave an evil grin, slipping under the water again, he emerged right behind her, his fingers reaching for her delicate sides where he knew she was most ticklish.

"Damon!" Elena gasped, fighting for air and to stay upright as her hands clamped over his.

Unwilling to give up the tender assault just yet, Damon hauled her up against him, her bare flesh slick against his in the water. Suddenly the game turned carnal and his lips crashed against hers.

Elena's gasp turned to a moan of passion as his mouth closed over hers. Fears forgotten, she clung to him like a drowning woman, her legs wrapping around him instinctively, trusting him to keep them afloat.

Now that he had her eager and willing in his arms, Damon did his best to keep her distracted and in the moment. The open setting forgotten, they came together in the water, caring only for each other as they chased fulfillment in each others arms.

When they finally emerged from the water to collapse on the shore, Elena had forgotten to be self conscious, sunning herself at his side while they shared a lazy lunch, talking about nothing and everything.

The sun had slipped from its zenith as Damon carried a sated but very tired Elena back to the little house piggyback, her voice still chattering in his ear. He wasn't sure what she was still talking about, but smiled to himself at the tone of her voice, the feel of her body against his back, the knowledge that she was well and truly his now.

**A/N: Ah idle bliss… they'll be pushing on soon, more to come. **

**Feedback is love people **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or I would have Ian Somerhalder giving me private readings of all Damon scenes…**

**Okay I know I'm posting out of order since I just posted for this fic last, but I think having three ongoing fics is spreading me a little thin. So I'm gonna focus on getting this one written up so I can then get to the other ones. I think we're drawing closer to the end here, just a couple of chapters left before this one wraps up. **

_Now that he had her eager and willing in his arms, Damon did his best to keep her distracted and in the moment. The open setting forgotten, they came together in the water, caring only for each other as they chased fulfillment in each others arms. When they finally emerged from the water to collapse on the shore, Elena had forgotten to be self conscious, sunning herself at his side while they shared a lazy lunch, talking about nothing and everything._

_The sun had slipped from its zenith as Damon carried a sated but very tired Elena back to the little house piggyback, her voice still chattering in his ear. He wasn't sure what she was still talking about, but smiled to himself at the tone of her voice, the feel of her body against his back, the knowledge that she was well and truly his now. _

* * *

"I'm gonna miss this place." Elena sighed, tossing her duffel bag into the back seat of the sedan.

Damon came up to wrap his arms around her, turning her in his embrace so that he could tuck her head against his shoulder. "I know, me too." He said simply, knowing that their time there together would be forever etched into his memory, no matter what the future would hold for them. "We can stay longer if you want to."

"No, we should probably get a move on like you said, there's no telling when the owners might show up and I'm guessing they'll be less than thrilled to find us squatting here."

"They'll be more pleased than you might think. I left them a little something on the kitchen table." More than a little something, he'd left an envelope with more than enough cash to cover the broken window and any food they'd eaten on their stay. Feeling a little magnanimous, he was definitely grateful for this place that had brought them closer together. Why not share the wealth?

"You did?" Her head came up in surprise. "Just when I think I have you figured out." Elena smiled, reaching up to drop a kiss on his lips.

"Oh I have many layers." Damon smirked. "It might take you two… three hundred years to get to the end of me."

"I already know everything I need to about the most important things." Elena replied earnestly, kissing him once more before letting go of him.

Her words warmed him and he felt a swell of pride go through him at her acceptance. Undeterred by her withdrawal, Damon drew her back to him, hauling her up against his body for another possessive kiss, determined for them to part on _his_ terms. Once he felt like he'd staked his claim suitably he let her go, amused to see the slightly dazed expression on her face. "Let's load em up and get this show on the road." He opened the car door for her, smiling to himself as she climbed in. He'd finally succeeded in rendering her speechless.

*** back from commercial ***

They drove most of the day and well into the evening before stopping in Grand Junction Colorado, and Damon found the nicest hotel he could find, tired of roughing it. Demanding the best room the hotel had to offer; he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed as they got to the room. Hardly the lap of luxury.

Elena for her part was just glad to be able to stretch her legs and find a place that was nice and clean and relatively modern for a change. "This is nice." She smiled, stepping in to look at the bathroom. "Much nicer than those little roadside motels. And they have room service!" She exclaimed happily.

It was cute the way she was easily impressed. Of course she hadn't traveled much; that much was obvious. Still, there was so much more out there just waiting to be discovered and he couldn't wait to be the one to show them to her. "I have an idea… I'm feeling like we need to kick this trip up a notch, really stay someplace in style you know? A real swanky hotel suite, in a hotel that knows the meaning of concierge service."

They were few and far between except for in the major cities. Of course in his day, he'd mostly used the concierge service for meals on wheels when he hadn't felt like venturing out, though he was fairly sure they had just thought he'd wanted a hooker for the night. Either way the girl had gone home with a wad of cash in her pocket and he'd left satisfied… same difference.

"I don't need that kind of luxury, so don't go out of your way on my account." Elena gave a half shrug, sitting on the edge of the bed and picking up the remote to page through the movies on demand.

Damon moved to sit beside her, thinking of better things they could be doing with their time than watching a movie… But he wasn't quite ready to drop the topic just yet. "Maybe I feel the need to spoil you a little bit. There's nothing wrong with being pampered is there? Tell me that doesn't sound like fun? Staying some place with a full service salon, shops to rival those on Rodeo Drive or the **Piazza Del Duomo? A Jacuzzi tub big enough for us to swim in? A king sized bed that feels like you're sleeping on a cloud? I'm thinking Las Vegas." Not to mention the gambling. For a vampire of his skills, Las Vegas was where he went when he needed a bundle of cash fast. **

Elena turned to face him, a hint of amusement on her features. "You have an Elvis fetish I don't know about?" She quipped.

"On come on, Sin City? You seriously don't see the appeal?" He smirked back.

"I am not going to strip clubs with you." Her hand came up, index finger extended accusingly.

"Why would I need strip clubs when I have the real thing right here with me?" Damon grinned, plucking the remote from her hand; he tossed it carelessly aside as he drew her down onto the bed, partially covering her body with his.

"Yeah well… don't you forget it." Elena insisted. "If we're gonna be together, then no more seducing waitresses… or strippers or showgirls or anything like that, you get me?

So she _had _been jealous back at that little diner! Damon's heart swelled at the display of possessiveness from her. "I get you." He replied earnestly, leaning down to kiss her softly. "Does that mean you're offering yourself as a replacement?"

"For you to seduce?" Elena gave him a lopsided smile.

"Among other things." He nibbled at her neck, tongue laving over her pulse once… twice. "It can be done, though I'd probably have to supplement with animal blood or the random trucker every now and then."

"Vampire monogamy?" She raised a single brow.

"Well… yeah I guess, if you want to put it that way." Damon replied, surprised that she was even considering such a thing.

"I'm not sure whether to be flattered or squeamish about the offer." She answered honestly. "I mean, the idea of keeping something so intimate between just the two of us does have an appeal, I admit. But I'd also like to keep on living; wouldn't it be kind of a drain on me if you're constantly feeding on me?"

"I wouldn't have to take much at a time as long as it was fairly regular. There are supplements you can take so you don't get too anemic. Are you really considering this? I don't want you to feel like you have to offer yourself to sustain me. I can get blood without having to seduce women." He studied her face carefully.

"Do you think we can make it work?" She looked up at him.

_God he loved her…_ "I'm willing to try if you are." Damon smoothed the glossy, dark locks back from her forehead. "I'm willing to forswear the taste of any other woman's blood. As long as you promise to tell me if you start to feel tired or listless. I won't have you hurt because of me."

Elena smiled up at him, reaching up to touch his face lovingly. "And I swear not to let any other man taste me, blood or otherwise. As long as you promise to always be honest with me about this. Tell me if it becomes a problem for you one way or the other before it gets out of hand."

"I will always tell you the truth Elena." He pledged with absolute conviction. He might not always tell her the whole truth, but the words he spoke were never out and out lies. "And the truth is… I am feeling a bit peckish at the moment." Damon grinned wolfishly, leaning down to nip playfully at her collarbone.

Giggles and laughter were exchanged as their clothing was shed; slowly taking the time to explore each others curves and hollows. Elena discovered a spot near his hipbone that drove him insane and quivering with anticipation when she kissed him there. Damon found that she was particularly sensitive to kisses just behind her ear, especially when he grazed his teeth along the tender skin there.

They meshed well; Elena eager to learn and Damon even more eager to show her the benefits of years of experience. Gradually the playful touches were replaced with more urgency as their bodies clamored for that sweet release that only joining together would satisfy. They moved together, already learning how to find that rhythm that would pitch them into the abyss together.

But this time, as Elena felt the pleasure building so sharply it was difficult to remember to take a breath; she drew his head to her throat, urging him to taste her. "Please…" She gasped, unable to articulate more in that moment.

Not needing to be told twice, Damon sank his fangs into her tender skin, groaning with the rapture against her flesh as he took her in every way.

Elena arched up beneath him, unable to think, move, speak, breathe… all she could do was feel the incredible bliss that shot through her in that instant. It went on and on until pinpricks of light began to swim in her vision and she thought she might pass out from sheer pleasure. Her body remembered to breathe then and she drew in a ragged breath.

Damon felt it the instant she found her release, utterly consumed with her essence that filled him body and soul. He tumbled after her into sweet oblivion, barely managing to stop drinking; her blood was even more intoxicating than he remembered. But her heart was still beating strongly, and as he looked down into her beloved face she seemed no worse for wear. In fact, she seemed even lovelier if that was possible, her face still flushed with pleasure that he'd given her. Laying a tender kiss to her lips, Damon rolled onto his back, collapsing against the bed for fear of crushing her.

"That was…" Elena gasped, still trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah it was…" Damon agreed wholeheartedly, still recovering himself.

"Something so good should be illegal." Elena murmured, rolling to snuggle up against him.

"I'm pretty sure it is." Damon smirked. "I think it's considered assault."

A laugh left her lips at that. "Well you can assault me like that any time." She smiled against his chest.

"I'll remember that." He smiled, arm going around her automatically to draw her closer.

*** back from commercial break ***

In the end he'd driven them on to Las Vegas after all, strip clubs or no. Damon utterly refused to let her back behind the wheel again after the accident that had nearly cost him her life. Though in looking back now, he could see that it had really brought them much closer together. Still, he wasn't willing to risk her safety in that respect now and took the driving over as his sole responsibility.

After chafing a little at the restriction, Elena accepted the edict well enough. It was more comfortable to ride as a passenger anyway. Let his back get sore if he wanted to be pig headed about it…

The drive went smoothly enough, the dark sedan eating up the miles and Damon's endurance and reflexes allowing them to travel much farther than to be expected in a typical car trip.

Soon they were bathed in the lights of the Vegas strip, and Elena sat upright again, eagerly taking in the sights. "Where are we gonna stay?" She asked, trying in vain to see everything at once.

"Caesar's Palace. I like to keep things old school." He replied with a faint smile. It was where he always stayed when he came to Las Vegas.

"It's… wow…" Elena's eyes doubled in size as he brought them up to the front of the hotel, she'd never seen anything like it outside of a movie. "How expensive is this?"

"Money is no object." Damon waved off her concern, parking the car and moving around to get her door for her. "Trust me, by the time we leave here we'll have a lot more money in our pockets than when we got here." He assured her.

"You're that good at gambling?" She asked skeptically, allowing him to help her out of the car.

"I'd say it's more of a skill than a game of chance where I'm concerned." He dropped a wink, accepting the valet's ticket and leading her into the lobby.

"That's cheating." She pointed out.

"That depends on how you look at it." He answered evasively. "Just hold your judgment until you see how it's done." Refusing to speak more of it until they were settled, Damon breezed through the checkout process, securing one of their Senator's Suites.

Elena glanced over at the receipt he signed, her eyes bugging out as she caught sight of the total, but she kept her mouth shut until they stepped into the elevator. "Damon, that's over twenty six hundred dollars a night!" She exclaimed the moment the door slid shut.

Damon chuckled in response, pressing the elevator button for the correct floor. "I told you not to worry about it. I wanted to spoil you, remember? I want you to remember this trip for a long, long time."

"I'll remember it plenty if we wind up in jail for not being able to pay for the room…" She muttered.

"It'll never happen, trust me." He laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'll take care of everything."

"That's what worries me." Elena mumbled, giving him a wan smile as the elevator reached their destination.

Damon led them to their suite, decorated to impress, the set of rooms was larger than some people's entire houses. For a while he simply followed her around, smiling over every little exclamation she gave at amenities discovered, glad that she seemed to lose her hesitation over the money spent once she saw the suite itself.

"This place is amazing." She declared finally, falling into a club chair. "We won't ever have to leave the room, this place has everything."

"While I might not ordinarily disagree with you there, I do insist that we go out tonight and see at least some of the sights. For a vampire, a city that never sleeps is like the best kind of adult playground and I wanted to show you some of my favorite haunts."

"I'd like that." Elena smiled, catching onto his enthusiasm for the idea. "But first I want to take a shower, wash away some of the dust of the road if that's okay."

"Take your time, in fact, why don't you take a swim in the tub? There should be some bubble bath in there, just relax and have a drink, the night is young." Damon smiled back, dropping a kiss to the top of her head and steering her towards the bathroom. The longer she took the better; it would give him plenty of time to put some things in motion.

"You don't mind?" Elena asked, surprised that he didn't mind her leaving him to his own devices for a while when he seemed so gung ho about exploring the city.

"Not at all, I could use the time after that long drive myself." Which was true, just not to rest, as the statement implied.

"Okay then, I think I will take a nice hot soak." She disappeared into the bathroom with a final smile.

As soon as he heard the water turn on, Damon slipped down to the lobby which was like a small city unto itself. He figured he had at least an hour to get everything done. Child's play…

**A/N: Vegas Baby! More fun to come soon. **

**Feedback is love people **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries or I wouldn't be killing time from work daydreaming on paper about Damon…**

"_Take your time, in fact, why don't you take a swim in the tub? There should be some bubble bath in there, just relax and have a drink, the night is young." Damon smiled back, dropping a kiss to the top of her head and steering her towards the bathroom. The longer she took the better; it would give him plenty of time to put some things in motion. _

"_You don't mind?" Elena asked, surprised that he didn't mind her leaving him to his own devices for a while when he seemed so gung ho about exploring the city. _

"_Not at all, I could use the time after that long drive myself." Which was true, just not to rest as the statement implied. _

"_Okay then, I think I will take a nice hot soak." She disappeared into the bathroom with a final smile._

_As soon as he heard the water turn on, Damon slipped down to the lobby which was like a small city unto itself. He figured he had at least an hour to get everything done. Child's play…_

* * *

Elena emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a soft fluffy robe. "Damon?" She called out softly, but there was no sign of him in the bedroom itself. There was music playing from the living room and she assumed he was out there waiting for her. The luggage had been delivered, but as she moved deeper into the bedroom she saw that there was a large box on the bed, a card with her name resting on the top. The card bore the simple inscription: For you.

Inside the box, wrapped in tissue paper was a black cocktail dress, the lines simple but elegant, the neckline modest but the dress was almost completely backless. A pair of strappy black heels in her size peeked out from under the bedskirt. When had he had the chance to buy these? How had he even known her sizes?

In the bottom of the box was a smaller box, a necklace inside in a choker style with an almost Victorian feel to it. Elena glanced at the necklace that Stefan had given her sitting on top of her dirty clothes. She had put it back on automatically the morning after Damon had asked her to take it off. Not because she didn't trust him, but knowing what she knew about vampires now, it had seemed to be the safe thing to do. But there in Las Vegas… what were the odds that she'd run into a vampire with Damon there to protect her?

It was time to put certain things in the past.

Elena tucked Stefan's necklace away in a side pocket of her duffel bag and picked up the pretty necklace that Damon had bought to go with her dress. The black choker hid the puncture marks on her neck and accentuated the graceful slope of her throat.

As she tried on the dress, she had to admire the fit; it was as though it had been made for her. It was another twenty minutes before she emerged from the bedroom, deciding to go all out and do full make up and hair, leaving her long dark tresses to fall loosely down her back in soft waves.

Stepping out into the living room, she took pleasure in the expression on Damon's face as he caught sight of her.

"I take it back, let's stay in tonight." He murmured, apparently transfixed.

Elena laughed, admiring him in his classic tuxedo. It had to be off the rack but it looked as though it had been tailored to fit him perfectly. His only break with tradition was the lack of a tie as his shirt was open at the throat but that just made him look all that much sexier in her opinion. "What do you think?" She gave a slow pivot, feeling his eyes on her bare back and then feeling the brush of fingers as he was instantly there, lightly caressing her skin.

"I think you should take it right off again." Damon replied, his voice curiously hoarse.

She laughed again. "You're the one that wanted to see the city." Elena pointed out. "You look fantastic yourself by the way, I like this tux. Did you get it downstairs?"

"I did say that didn't I?" He sighed, removing his hand. "Hm what? Oh yeah, I went on a little side shopping trip while you were soaking. You like?" Damon gestured to her outfit.

"Very much, you have exquisite taste." Elena complimented him.

"Of course I do." Damon smirked, "Are you ready to go then? Cause if we don't go soon…"

"Alright, alright. I'm ready. Let's go paint the town red." She grinned.

*** back from commercial ***

Dinner at Ferraro's, she'd left everything in his hands, allowing him to order for her and she hadn't been disappointed, the house specialty of Osso Buco had proven delicious. Damon seemed to have been bred and born to the finer things in life and Elena was impressed with how at home he seemed in the fancy restaurant; how easily he commanded the best service and the best table without having to resort to compulsion. At least she thought he hadn't… but there hadn't been that trademark blank stare from any of their servers.

It was a heady thing, such luxury; though she wasn't sure she'd like to live like this all the time, it definitely made for a nice vacation from her normal life. After a drive through town to gape at the various wonders he'd taken her back to the hotel,

"What do you think, do you want to see a show or try some your hand at some gambling?"

"I'm not eighteen yet." Elena pointed out.

"Trust me; nobody's going to question you in that dress." He smirked, leading her up the front steps.

"Alright, let's give the casino a whirl. I'm feeling lucky tonight." She replied, eyes dancing with excitement.

"So am I." Damon grinned mischievously.

Her excitement was short lived however when after a cursory walk through the casino he'd led her to the high stakes poker tables, easily gaining access beyond the velvet rope. Especially when she was relegated to Damon's side while he played Texas Hold'em with the big boys. For a while she watched with interest, learning the intricacies of the game, but Damon was curiously distant, his attention wholly focused on his opponents. It didn't take her long to figure out why…

Damon stared at the man across the table from him, trying to catch his line of sight, his own cards lying face down in his hand. "I think you're bluffing. You're bluffing aren't you?" He smiled as soon as he caught the man's eye.

"I am bluffing." The balding man replied in a monotone voice, putting the hand down without revealing the cards.

The dealer declared Damon the winner, who was too busy raking in his winnings to notice Elena's boredom.

"Where's the fun in playing if you already know you're gonna win?" She whispered to him once he had leaned back in his chair again.

"It's called money. How else do you expect me to pay for our room?" He returned sotto voce.

"We didn't have to stay in such an expensive suite." She pointed out, frowning as they started dealing Damon into another hand.

"But you deserve the best, and I'm in a position to give it to you. Now be a peach and keep those pretty lips zipped okay doll? This is harder than it looks." Damon replied, lapsing into almost another persona as he faced down the other players around the table.

"I'm not gonna stick around and watch this." Elena complained, scooting her chair back.

A long suffering sigh was given and Damon set down the cards he'd been dealt. "Okay." He produced a thick roll of bills and peeled off several hundred dollars, handing them over casually. "Why don't you go and buy yourself something pretty." He winked at her.

"I think I'll go play roulette or something." Elena decided, rising to her feet and accepting the wad of money.

"Roulette is a chick's game." Damon made a face.

"Well I am a chick. And I happen to think it's fun." She said loftily, though in truth she'd never played it before in her life, it seemed simple enough.

"Whatever floats your boat. Don't go too far, and stay in the hotel." He instructed her.

"Yes Daddy…" Elena replied in a little girl voice, a smirk on her lips.

His brows came up at that one and he turned to look at her. "As in sugar daddy?

We can explore that more later." He grinned giving her behind a light pat. "Now go scoot, Daddy's got some work to do."

A roll of the eyes was given. What was it about playing poker that made men devolve into Neanderthals?

Elena wandered through the casino watching the gaming tables with interest. She tried her hand at blackjack but got easily bored after losing a few hands. The slots seemed a little brainless and craps confused the hell out of her. In the end she ended up at the roulette table just as promised. Pick a number or a color… that didn't sound too difficult.

Resolving not to spend more than a hundred dollars on this gambling stuff, no matter how much Damon had given her to spend, she was prepared to lose it all but spend a pleasant time doing it.

Only she kept winning.

And winning.

And winning.

A small crowd started to gather at seeing her pile of winnings grow, eager to get in on a winning streak. A little uncomfortable at first with the idea of potentially causing others to lose their money, Elena consoled herself in the knowledge that she wasn't making them match their bets to hers, so it wasn't really her fault if they lost it, was it?

Only she kept winning.

And winning.

And winning.

*** back from commercial ***

It was nearly two hours later when Damon walked away from the poker table, stopping to secure his chips before he went in search of Elena, frowning to himself at first when he couldn't spot her. Maybe he had left her longer than he'd intended… had she gone up to the room? What if something had happened to her?

Forcing some calm into the panic that welled at that thought, he closed his eyes, focusing on their connection to pinpoint her location. Relief passed through him as he sensed her not too far away and a spike of elation over something. Was his Baby winning? A smile curved his lips as he moved towards her, finding her at the center of a crowd, all watching the little roulette ball spin around and around. So intent was Elena on the outcome that she didn't even notice his approach.

The ball landed on the number five and Elena gave a whoop of joy, as did the crowd. High fiving the people surrounding her, Elena did a full turn before she realized Damon was standing right by her side, dropping her outstretched hand. "Damon… how long have you been standing there?" She asked, a little flushed.

"Long enough to see you win, are you having a good time?" He asked, amused at her discomfiture.

"The _best_ time!" She laughed, amid numerous assents from her followers.

"I can see that. How much have you won?" He asked, noticing her empty hands.

"Um… I'm not really sure…" Elena picked up a couple of chips in differing colors from a sizeable stack. "I forget which color means what. I know the rectangle ones are worth more. Do you know how much I have here?" She asked the dealer.

Damon blinked, that whole stack was hers?

"Just over a hundred and forty-five thousand dollars Miss." The dealer gave her a smile.

"Shut the front door!" Elena gasped, her mouth dropping open.

An impeccably dressed man approached the table then, his smile a little strained. "I'm afraid we're closing down the table Miss. We'll be happy to secure your winnings for you for the night."

"Oh but I'm not ready to quit playing, I still have money left." Elena protested.

The pit boss chuckled at her response. "That's an attitude we appreciate here at Caesar's Palace Miss. But perhaps you'd like to take a break? See one of our acclaimed shows? I'd be happy to arrange it for you."

"What a good idea." Damon smiled, taking Elena by the arm. "Why don't you take a little break honey, we can always come back later and try your luck again."

"But… I don't feel like taking in a show. This is fun! Couldn't I just take my winnings and go to one of the other casinos if this one is closing down?"

The man looked like he was going to have a fit of apoplexy when she said that. "There's no need to go to another casino Miss. And we're not closing, simply closing down this table." The crowd had started to disperse, which had been his goal from the start. "Why don't I arrange for a light supper to be sent up to your room? In fact, I'd be happy to comp your room for the duration of your stay."

"You would?" Elena blinked. "That's nice of you… I suppose we could take a little break."

Damon's smirk grew a little wider, thinking that the man probably hadn't thought he was agreeing to something quite so expensive at the offer, but said nothing.

"Please, come with me and we'll see to securing your winnings and make the arrangements for your complimentary supper."

Elena looked to Damon for his input and he gave her a slow nod. This was working out better than he'd had planned. Who would have thought his little Angel would have hit it so lucky?

The details soon handled, Damon and Elena were soon back on the way up to their room.

"Did you see his face when he found out what room we were in? I thought he was gonna take it back." Elena laughed, leaning against Damon's side.

"It doesn't cost them anything, besides, they want you to stay and give them a chance to win some of their money back."

"Kinda stupid if you ask me." Elena snorted. "If they'd have left me going I might have kept going till I lost it all but now… a hundred and forty-five thousand dollars? No way I'm gonna gamble that away…" She said vehemently.

"Oh yeah? Are you sure about that? You looked pretty hooked to me when I found you." Damon teased lightly, guiding her out of the lift.

"No I'm sure. Do you realize what this means? I can do whatever I want to with the money. Go to college, take a year off, travel… blow it all on hats." She sighed, continuing to lean against him as they walked.

She was so full of hope… and more beautiful to him than ever, pretty dress or no. "What do you want to do with your future?" He asked as he opened up the room and held the door open for her.

"I don't know…" She admitted, preceding him into the room and promptly kicking off the high heels. "I sort of got off track when my parents died, none of that seemed so important anymore. And then last year was a little… distracting, you know?"

"That's an understatement." He agreed, she seemed like a magnet for danger, maybe it would be better for her to get away for a while? These past few days had been blissfully unfettered with all the doom and gloom of vampire troubles, and he intended to keep it that way for as long as possible.

"I might want to travel, I dunno. This little jaunt has made me want to see some of the other wonders of the world."

Damon wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her close, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. "I could take you. I could show you things… you'll never see on any tourist's itinerary. London, Paris, Florence…"

"Just fly away with you and see the world? There are worse things I can think of to do with my winnings." She laughed.

"Okay, let's go. I'll drive us to the airport right now." Damon let go of her, ready to take her at her word.

"I can't go right now!" Elena balked. "I still have a year left of high school, I'm not even eighteen years old yet. Aunt Jenna could have you arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor."

"Right, because showing you the wonders of Europe is going to corrupt your mind worse than that travesty of an education they're spoon feeding you in school." He snorted.

"What's wrong with high school?" She frowned defensively.

"Nothing… we're getting off track here. I'm just saying that high school is good up to a point, but reading about things in books is nothing like being out there, gaining life experience."

"I know that, but there's no rush is there? I have the rest of my life to explore and learn and grow and all that good stuff." She insisted.

The rest of her short life… The thought was sobering… they had such little time together really, as long as she remained human. But he was also smart enough to know not to push for anything on that scale just yet. Hell she was just getting used to the idea of being with him, let alone for all eternity.

"Tell you what? Let's leave the question of the future to that, the future. For tonight let's just celebrate our good fortune and have a good time." A knock at the door signaled the arrival of their "supper", a gourmet spread complete with not one but two bottles of chilled champagne.

"Our good fortune? I'm the one who won the money." Elena pointed out as soon as the servers had left them alone again.

"Yeah, and I'm the one who's gonna help you cash in those chips since you're under eighteen." Damon smirked, pouring them each a flute of champagne. "To the future." He raised his glass to hers.

"To the future." She nodded, her eyes bright as she took a long sip.

*** teaser ***

Two hours later, they stumbled into the Chapel O' Love, blitzed out of their minds on complimentary champagne and the tequila shots that had followed.

"Want to?" Damon asked with a drunken smirk.

**A/N: I know, a cliffhanger, I am evil… **

**Just one chapter left folks. Last chance to ask any questions about things that haven't been resolved yet. I will try to address them in the next chapter or in notes if they don't fit in. **

**Feedback is love people **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: As usual I don't own Vampire Diaries **

**This is it, the final chapter! Thanks to everyone who came along for the ride, you made it worth writing.**

"_Tell you what? Let's leave the question of the future to that, the future. For tonight let's just celebrate our good fortune and have a good time." A knock at the door signaled the arrival of their "supper", a gourmet spread complete with not one but two bottles of chilled champagne._

"_Our good fortune? I'm the one who won the money." Elena pointed out as soon as the servers had left them alone again. _

"_Yeah, and I'm the one who's gonna help you cash in those chips since you're under eighteen." Damon smirked, pouring them each a flute of champagne. "To the future." He raised his glass to hers._

"_To the future." She nodded, her eyes bright as she took a long sip. _

* * *

Two hours later, they stumbled into the Chapel O' Love, blitzed out of their minds on complimentary champagne and the tequila shots that had followed.

"Want to?" Damon asked with a drunken smirk.

"I'm not 18 yet, remember?" Elena replied, for some reason no other objections coming to mind.

"So, I can get us past that easily." A half shrug was given.

"Would that even be legal?" But that wasn't the most pressing question where that was concerned was it? "And that's how you're gonna ask me? You wanna?" She fixed him with a disgruntled look.

Damon went down on one knee, pressing her knuckles to his heart. "Elena Gilbert, will you do me the great honor of making me the happiest vampire on earth…"

"Shhhhh," she giggled "someone will hear you!"

"I don't care, I'm not afraid to proclaim it to the… proclamation!"

Elena giggled some more as he tripped over his words, he was so adorable down there on the floor.

"Now where was I? Right, will you… honor my honor with the honor of your hand in marriage?"

"Sure, why not?" Elena grinned, shrieking with laughter as he leapt to his feet and spun her around and around, making her dizzy. "Wait, wait, wait… stop or I'm gonna throw up."

"Just what every man hopes to hear on his wedding day…" He snickered, setting her down.

The dizziness passed and she gave him another lopsided grin. "Okay I'm good, let's do this." Elena declared, moving past the doors and into the lobby where amenities could be chosen to customize the service.

"Oh, you should definitely wear one of these." Elena pointed to a sky blue tux complete with ruffled shirt, displayed on a mannequin.

Damon winced, "No chance in hell."

"Aw… and here I was gonna put on this little number." She tugged at the puffed sleeve of a white wedding dress that was a huge mass of puffs and ruffles, nearly obscuring the lines of the dress.

"You really think you should be wearing white?" Damon smirked.

Elena punched him on the shoulder as hard as she could. "Dick…" She muttered, with a roll of the eyes. "I can't get married wearing black like I'm at a funeral."

"Well I'm dead aren't I?" He quipped, garnering a look from the receptionist behind the counter.

"Damon!" Elena hissed.

Damon turned to stare at the receptionist. "Do you mind? We're having a private conversation here."

The girl behind the counter dropped her gaze nervously, busying herself with unpacking a box of mugs with the Chapel O' Love logo emblazoned on them.

"Be nice to her, she didn't do anything to you." Elena frowned.

"I didn't…" Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you want to get married or not?" He demanded.

"Yeah… probably." Elena replied, lips pouting at his tone.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Are we all set then?" The mousy receptionist asked timidly, biting her lip as she looked from one to the other.

*** back from commercial ***

The ceremony was a bit of a blur, Elena was focused on the feel of her hand in his, the way his blue eyes locked on hers intently.

"Do you have a ring?" The minister cleared his throat and Elena got the impression that he'd already asked it once.

"Shit, I knew we forgot something…" Damon frowned.

"We have a lovely selection of rings…" The minister began, signaling for his aide to come forth with a tray of rings.

"No, I got it." Damon waved her off. "Here, take this one." He suggested, taking off his own ring and holding it up with a grin for his own cleverness.

Elena stared at her hand as he pushed the ring onto her finger, the reality of what he was doing starting to push through the fog of drink. "Wait…" She murmured, trying to clear her head.

"Repeat after me, with this ring…"

"Wait, wait, wait, this is wrong… this is all wrong." Elena interrupted, taking a step backwards, her hand pulling out of his. The moment she saw the ring, _his_ ring on her finger she knew that part of her wanted this more than anything. But not like this. Not in some drunken ceremony that neither of them would remember. She wanted more.

The look of pain on Damon's face cut her straight to the core, and she closed her eyes against it. "Damon, what I mean is …"

"No you're right, it's a stupid idea." He cut her off, "Thanks but no thanks Padre, looks like we won't be needing your services after all." Damon closed himself off, avoiding Elena's gaze as well. "Come on, let's head back to the hotel." Without waiting for her response, he strode down the aisle and out of the building.

Elena hurried after him, waiting till she got outside to call his name. "Damon..." No response, he continued on to the street. "Damon please…"

Damon ignored her, raising his arm to hail a cab.

"We should talk about this." Elena tried again.

"What's there to talk about? You don't want to get married, I get that, let's just forget it. There's nothing left to say."

"Yes there is… if you'll just let me explain…"

"Would it be so bad to be married to me?" Damon whirled to face her, his eyes blazing with intensity as he grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Is that what you want? Really want? Or did it just seem like a good idea at the time?" Elena asked, wincing slightly as his fingers dug into her flesh.

"Yes. Maybe. I don't know." He released her, rubbing the back of his neck absently.

"Then we shouldn't get married. Marriage is a big step. You need to _know_. I only want to do this once." A cab pulled up then and Elena moved forward when to slip inside, surprised when Damon shut the door right after her. Rolling down the window as quickly as she could, she called him back as he had already turned away. "Wait! You're not coming with me? Where are you going?"

"I don't know, for a walk. I need to think."

"Damon, please come back to the hotel with me, we need to talk through this." She pleaded with him. "Everything is just…" Elena's head was starting to pound and she pressed it against the cool metal of the door. "Don't leave like this."

"Go back to the room Elena. Things will look brighter come the morning." He gave her a sad smile before turning and walking off into the night.

*** back from commercial ***

_Things will look brighter come the morning…_

Things were definitely not brighter in the morning,

The sun streaming in through the curtains fell perfectly against her face and she groaned, snapping her eyes shut again. "I will never drink again…"

The first thing she noticed was that she was alone. If Damon had come back to the room, he was sleeping on the couch. "Damon?" She called out, wincing at the pain the sound of her own voice brought.

The second thing she noticed was his ring still on her finger.

_Things will look brighter come the morning…_

Oh God… was Damon out there somewhere without his ring? Ignoring the pain in her head, or the way her stomach protested at the movement, Elena flew out of bed, tearing open the bedroom door. "Damon?" She called out into the empty room.

Two hours later, she ventured downstairs in search of him, thinking maybe she'd find him in the bar or the casino. With few external windows, it seemed a perfect place for a vampire to spend his day. But there was no sign of him anywhere, and no answer on his cell when she tried him for the umpteenth time.

Four hours later, she was back in the hotel room, waiting for him to show up there. It made sense that it was the logical place for him to turn up. Besides, she had no desire to go out and see the sights by herself.

Six hours later, she'd decided to go down to the lobby again and ask around if anyone had seen him. All of the women she asked seemed to remember him just fine, but hadn't seen him since the night before.

Ten hours later, she was back up in the room, passed out from sheer exhaustion of worry.

Twelve hours later, Elena was pacing, unable to sit still as she imagined the worst. What if he never came back? What if she'd blown it with him and never saw him again? Worse, what if he'd passed out drunk somewhere and then woken up without the protection of his ring and was just… gone? Darkness had fallen a couple of hours ago, and there was still no sign of him. Very close to tears, she paced the luxuriously appointed room, seeing none of its splendor, only waiting for one thing…

And there it was… a flurry of awareness as she felt the tug of their bond and knew that Damon was up and around… somewhere. Not familiar enough with it to be able to tell just how far away he was, she wondered if it meant he had just arisen or if he was headed her way?

The sound of the door mechanism disengaging drew her attention and she froze, wondering if she was starting to hear things now, or if he had truly returned. The man himself stepped across the threshold looking tired and disheveled; his suit coat and tie gone, shirt open at the throat.

"Where the hell have you been?" She heard herself screech, even as she launched herself at him, unsure if she was of a mind to hug him or hit him. It ended up being a combination of both as she collided with him, clutching to him tightly.

"Out." Damon replied succinctly.

"Out? That's all you have to say to me? Where did you go?" Elena demanded.

"Out," he repeated. "I needed to clear my head."

"Don't ever do that again, I was worried to death!" Tears of relief stood in her eyes, her heart beating like a jackhammer at the adrenaline coursing through her system.

"I'm a grown boy Elena, I can take care of myself." Damon disengaged himself from her arms, putting some space between them.

"That's not the point and you know it."

A roll of the eyes was given. "What are you so damned afraid of?"

_That you might not come back. _"That you might do something stupid." She ended up saying aloud, her brows drawing together in annoyance. He'd driven her nearly mad with worry and he didn't even care?

"If you want me to stick around you have a funny way of showing it." He retorted.

"I was worried about you!" Elena exclaimed indignantly.

"Well who asked you to be?" He thundered at her, his eyes blazing.

"I can't help it, I love you, you idiot!" She yelled back.

"Well I love you too!" Damon retorted at the top of his lungs.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Okay then…" Elena drew in a calming breath.

"Wait, what?" Damon blinked. "Did you just say that you love me?"

"You said it too, I heard you, you can't take it back." Elena insisted hurriedly.

"I don't want to take it back." His face softened, taking a step towards her.

A knock sounded on the door, "Security!" Came the voice in an authoritative tone.

Giving her a helpless look, Damon answered the door, his face contrite as he pulled it open.

"Is everything okay here? We had a report of a domestic disturbance." The security guard looked from one to the other.

"Just a little squabble with the wife, but we're fine." Damon gave him a tight smile.

"That true ma'am?"

Elena nodded. "Sorry if we disturbed anyone." She gave him a sheepish smile.

He lingered a moment longer, before deciding to let it go. "Try and keep it down." With a final nod he was gone.

Damon and Elena shared a nervous laugh after the security guard was gone, and Elena wondered what would happen next. Would he pretend nothing had happened, or would they talk about what was just said?

"Come here." Damon bid her, holding his arms out for her.

Dutifully she went to him, her eyes closing with relief as his arms closed around her. For long moments they remained that way, locked in each other's embrace before he pulled back to look at her.

"Let's try that again." His thumbs stroked along the edge of her jaw. "I love you."

"And I love you." She smiled, tears of happiness sliding from her eyes.

"Don't cry, Elena." He captured the tears with his fingers and stroked them away.

"I can't help it… the man I love tells me he loves me too and… I just fall all to pieces." She laughed, pressing a kiss to the palm of his hand.

"We can go home now." Damon laid a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"So this is what you wanted to show me? Las Vegas?" She smiled in his embrace.

"No, I had actually planned to take you to Disneyland." He admitted.

"You dragged me out of bed and brought me all the way across the country to show me Disneyland? That's what you had planned from the start?" For a few days she had started to suspect that he had no destination in mind, but for the life of her she didn't understand why the importance of Disneyland and why it wasn't necessary now.

"Yes and no." He hedged.

"Wouldn't Disneyworld have been a lot closer?" Elena pointed out.

Damon smiled, resting his chin on top of her head. "Yes it is, but it wouldn't have been the same. I brought you on this road trip to show you a good time; that was part of it of course. But I'd like to think we gained something else along the way, don't you?"

"That was your plan then? To get me to fall in love with you?" She marveled at the idea that he'd gone through all that trouble just for her.

"I wanted to show you that life goes on. That even in the midst of some pretty awful shit life is worth living. And not that excuse for a life you were living when I took you out of there but this… wild, spontaneous, life where anything can happen, even love." Damon stroked her soft hair. "Though… I have to admit, I really didn't believe you could love me back the way I love you right up until I heard you say the words."

"Well you always were an idiot." Elena pulled back to look into those crystal blue eyes, seeing her own love reflected there. "Let me say it again then. I love you Damon, and I always will." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Now let's go home."

"What, now?" His expression grew doubtful. "I was sorta hoping we might…" He jerked his head towards the bedroom.

The corner of her mouth tugged up into a smile. "That's what I was saying. You ever hear that expression, 'home is where the heart is'?"

"Well my home is in your arms." Her smile grew a little wider, a mischievous light coming into her eyes. "I think we're about overdue for a little homecoming, don't you think?"

"That's my girl." He smirked, lifting her into his arms in one swift movement. "I'll give you a homecoming like you've never seen before."

**A/N: Ah the fic is complete! There's a likelihood I will continue this in the future with a sequel, European Roadtrip or something, but it'll be in a few month's time. In the meantime, here are some answers to questions people had that didn't quite get addressed yet.**

**Will they get married? I do see that as being in their future. Whether he admits it or not Damon is a traditional kind of guy in many ways, and I think Elena wants the whole white wedding thing with her family there. **

**Is Damon even able to get married? Does he have ID? I think that's something Damon would be able to arrange pretty easily. How hard would it be to compel someone at the DMV and get an ID?**

**Will Elena eventually become a vampire? Maybe, it's hard to say with them at this point, Elena is still very young. But someday maybe. **

**Will they go back to Mystic Falls or keep on traveling? I think they'd take the long way home, but eventually go back for her last year of high school. Plus at some point Jenna's gonna wonder where she disappeared to when she gets back!**

**Send any other unanswered questions and I can try to answer them individually or include them in the sequel.**

**Last chance… Feedback is love people **


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